


Since I Gave My Heart Away

by pikaace



Category: In the Heights - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe, Basically a lot of family stuff, But Pete's family's situation still sucks, Canon pairings are there if you squint, Endless fluff, Family Drama, Family Fluff, Family Loss, Fantasy, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gen, His dad's still an asshole, Slice of Life, Sonny's dad is actually a good guy for a change, Usnavi and Pete kinda get along, When everyone's at their canonical musical age Sonny is ten, Young!Sonny AU, also the barrio is kinda in the mountains now, but it can exist if you want it to, but romance isn't the focus here, but you don't need to see the movie to read this, if you know the movie you'll get it, protective usnavi, that's how much younger he is, there are a ton of gaps and spaces for that to happen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-20
Updated: 2017-10-20
Packaged: 2019-01-20 10:25:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 54,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12430836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pikaace/pseuds/pikaace
Summary: Based on Wolf ChildrenUsnavi was an ordinary boy with an ordinary life. But fate had other plans for him when his parents suddenly passed away. He is given to the care of his aunt and uncle and after learning that his uncle has a deep secret, he’s given a cousin that will carry the same secret as his father: being part wolf.But when his aunt and uncle die suddenly, Usnavi must raise Sonny on his own, embarking on the difficult but rewarding adventure of their lives, fraught with love, hardship, family, heartbreak, community, friendship, and tears. And through it all, the bond between two cousins from completely opposite words is tested as they go through the trials of growing up and finding their own path.





	Since I Gave My Heart Away

**Author's Note:**

> I've been writing this for a year and a half so I decided to make this my NaNoWriMo contribution. I don't care if I started it early and have had it done a few months before November, it's happening and here it is. Deal with it. 
> 
> Anyway, Wolf Children is definitely one of my favorite movies and it made writing this so much fun. And yes, this WHOLE over fifty thousand word story is one chapter, because I wanted it to kind of emulate the movie, in a sense. The movie is able to pack so many years of life into that one showing, so I decided to try to do the same. ...Let's see if I succeeded or not :P

_~The more of your heart you give to someone else, the fuller that it gets.~_

* * *

 It is said that we remember moments, not days. That life is made of so many ups and downs. That life is constantly changing, sometimes for the better, and sometimes for the worst.

On that day, Usnavi first thought that his life had changed for the worst. The day when he was called to the principal’s office, to learn that his parents had been in a terrible car accident. Usnavi didn’t remember much once he had been given the news; he was just in a numb state of shock as he was brought to the hospital. All he could do was stare through the window at the beds that held his parents, hundreds of tubes sticking out of their bodies to keep them alive, even though the doctor said it was hopeless. The fifteen-year-old put his hand on the glass and stared at them, mentally reaching out to them.

At the same time, a taxi was speeding down the road towards the hospital, carrying a couple. The woman’s face was damp with tears and drawn with worry as she leaned against her husband who had his arm around her, rubbing her arm gently. They arrived at the hospital and hurried inside, the receptionist directing them to the room. After entering the hallway, they stopped as they spied the teen sitting against the wall, curled into a ball.

“Usnavi…” The woman breathed and rushed over to him, her husband slowly following. She knelt next to Usnavi and gently placed a hand on his shoulder, making the boy shakily look up at her.

“Tía Jane…” He whimpered.

“Oh  _mijo_ …” Jane pulled him into a bone crushing hug, the two of them crying silently. Jane’s husband stood a ways back, unsure of what to say or do, but watched silently as two covered bodies were removed from the operating room.

The rest of the day was like a blur to Usnavi. He only remembered sitting against the wall, staring ahead as if in a trance while his aunt and the other man spoke to the doctors and such. He remembered his aunt faintly speaking to him, “Usnavi, you’re going to live with Carlos and I, now.”

Usnavi only numbly nodded in response; all he registered was that he was going to be with his aunt, which was fine with him. Next, he was in a taxi, his aunt’s arm around him, and when he finally came back to his senses, he was standing in a small unknown apartment.

Jane sat him down on a couch, an arm around him, “Carlos is going to get your stuff from your old home,” She said softly.

Usnavi blinked, finally registering the man’s name, “Carlos…?”

Jane pressed her lips together, “ _Si;_  he’s my husband.”

Usnavi perked up a little more; his aunt had never mentioned that she had gotten married, hell, he didn’t even know she was seeing anybody! “B-But…how…when…where…”

“I know,” Jane nodded with a grimace. “I was going to tell you guys when you visited, but…” The accident. Those words hung in the air, until Jane squeezed his shoulder, “You want something to drink?”

Usnavi silently nodded and Jane went to the kitchen. Usnavi eventually found his way to the kitchen and sat at the table, fiddling with his hands until Jane slid a mug of tea towards him. Usnavi silently lifted it and sipped it, the hot liquid stinging his tongue; but the pain seemed dulled somehow. Jane made her own mug and sat across from Usnavi, the two of them staring at their tea, both their faces drawn with sadness. Neither had the heart to try and start a conversation.

The silence was finally shattered when the door opened and Carlos came in with a suitcase and a few bags carrying Usnavi’s possessions. He spotted Jane and Usnavi and his eyes softened in sympathy as he closed the door, “I’ll put these in the spare room,” He said softly.

Jane nodded, slightly relieved that the silence was broken, “Why don’t we put your things away,  _mijo?”_  She offered.

Usnavi nodded and stood, his face still blank. They traveled to the spare room, where a bed was already set and made. There was an empty dresser waiting to be filled and the rest of the room was plain and empty. It fit Usnavi’s feelings almost too perfectly. Carlos made the first move, placing the suitcase and bags near the dresser and opening them, revealing clothes and any other necessities. Jane and Usnavi silently followed and the three began unpacking. It didn’t take long; Usnavi’s family didn’t have much.

“Could…I be alone?” Usnavi asked, speaking for the first time.

“Sure,” Jane whispered, squeezing his shoulder. Jane and Carlos exited, leaving the door open a crack, and Usnavi traveled to his new bed. He lay down and simply stared at the ceiling, his mind slowly trying to wrap around everything that had happened in such a short time. His parents, Tía Jane, her new husband, staying here…Usnavi didn’t even know where to start.

Just then he heard what sounded like a sob coming from outside his room. Usnavi got up and peeked out the door, seeing another door slightly open across from his own. He wandered over and peeked in, seeing that it was Jane and Carlos’ bedroom. They were both sitting on the edge of the bed, their backs to the door; Carlos had his arm around Jane, who was sobbing loudly into her hands.

“It’s alright,  _muñeca,_ ” Carlos soothed, rubbing her arm, “Just let it out.”

Jane shook her head, “My brother’s gone, Carlos…gone just like that!” She cried. “I hadn’t seen him or Luz in, in months, and now they’re gone!” She buried her face in Carlos’ shoulder, “I didn’t even get to say goodbye…” Carlos said nothing, but rubbed her back, sympathy in his expression. Usnavi didn’t realize he was crying until he let out a soft sob, tears trailing down his cheeks.

“Usnavi,” The boy flinched as Carlos spoke without looking at him. “Come in.”

Jane peeked out from Carlos’ hold as Usnavi slowly stepped into the room, trying in vain to wipe his tears away. Jane sniffed and scooted over, patting the spot between her and Carlos, “Come here,  _mijo.”_

Usnavi slowly did as he was told and sat stiffly between Jane and Carlos. Jane put her arm around Usnavi and he leaned against her.  _“Lo siento, Tía…”_  Usnavi murmured. He wasn’t sure what he was apologizing for; for his parents’ death, for having to take him in, who knew?

Jane shook her head, “Don’t you dare give me that,” She said firmly. “You did nothing wrong, you hear me?” Usnavi lightly nodded when he felt a hesitant hand touch his back, rubbing it softly.

Usnavi peeked over to Carlos, “I know how you’re feeling,” He said. “I lost my parents when I was a few years younger than you.”

Usnavi blinked and sat up a little straighter, “You did?”

Carlos nodded, “My father died in an accident, and my mother got sick not long after,” He said. “Just like that, I found myself in a situation a lot like yours.” Carlos’ hand moved up and squeezed Usnavi’s shoulder while Jane squeezed the other.

“I know that it feels like there’s nothing left, like nothing can possibly get better,” Carlos said, “but if you look around, you’ll find that there’s still someone who can make everything alright.” He shared a fond look with Jane.

“You still have us,  _mijo,_ ” Jane said, rubbing his shoulder. “We may not have much, but we’ll do our best to be here for you, no matter what.”

Usnavi said nothing but felt his tears come back. Jane pulled him into a hug, softly kissing his hair and Carlos wrapped his arms around both of them. Usnavi let out a shaky breath as he felt the warmth of the two people around him fill his being, replacing the cold despair that had been there minutes earlier. It was then that Usnavi knew, even though nothing would be the same, everything was going to be alright.

* * *

 They held the funeral a week later. It was a small gathering, consisting of Usnavi, Jane, Carlos, and a few friends who could make it. Usnavi was silent and blank throughout the whole service, but finally broke down into tears when they got back home. Usnavi barely remembered the process of his aunt and uncle scheduling their appointment at Probate Court and taking legal custody of him. Usnavi thought he would be upset at the idea of having other people take care of him that weren't his parents, even if Jane and Carlos were family. But, he remembered that warmth they gave him while he mourned, and he decided that being with them wouldn't be bad at all.

Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months, and Usnavi gradually returned to normal. Jane and Carlos let him grieve for as long as he needed and were always there by his side. Usnavi soon went back to school, attending the high school closer to his new home, and found that living with his aunt and uncle was a lot of fun.

Tía Jane was just as enthusiastic and hot-blooded as Usnavi remembered. She always treated Usnavi like he was her own child whenever she visited, and it was no different here, since he kinda was her own now. Thanks to her, Usnavi fell into the routine of his new guardians with ease; it wasn’t long before the three of them were eating dinner together, exchanging stories and laughing.

But the most pleasant surprise was how much Usnavi liked his new Tío Carlos. He had been a bit unsure about him, seeing as Tía Jane never mentioned him before his parents’ death, even though they had been dating for a year and started living together four months before the accident. But despite having never met him before, Usnavi really enjoyed his company.

Jane worked so much more than Carlos did, so Usnavi was pretty much forced to try and get along with his new uncle. Thankfully, Usnavi warmed up to Carlos quickly. Carlos was calm, collected, and pretty funny as well, a stark contrast from Jane. He was also an amazing cook; when both Carlos and Jane were in the kitchen, the food was almost always top-notch.

But while Usnavi did like his uncle, he couldn’t help but notice how…odd he seemed.

His uncle seemed to either have a sixth sense or the best hearing or imaginable, as he could yank Usnavi out of the way of a passing bike he couldn’t see coming in an instant. He could smell cooking food from miles away, even through closed doors of apartments. He could predict the weather; not perfectly, but when a storm was on the way, Carlos could tell, just by looking at the cloudy sky and sniffing the air.

But the strangest was when his uncle came home some evenings when he thought Usnavi was doing homework in his room. He would be covered in dirt and feathers, and carrying a large bird as if he had just been out hunting. It explained where all their fresh meat seemed to come from, but it didn’t explain one little detail: Carlos hated hunters. He described them as barbarians with guns who only care about how big their catch is, killing innocent animals for sport rather than for practical needs, like feeding their family. So then, where were these birds coming from? Usnavi eventually got his answer when he turned sixteen, almost a year and a half since he moved in with them.

“Hey, Usnavi, how about we go for a walk while your aunt finishes washing up?” Carlos offered when dinner was done.

Usnavi blinked; his uncle had been known for taking long walks, but he had never offered for Usnavi to join him before. “Uh…”

“I want to show you something,” Carlos went on. “It won’t take long; we’ll be back before dessert.”

Usnavi hesitated, but eventually nodded. “Okay.” He had nothing else to do anyway, besides help his aunt clean the kitchen.

“Yeah, sure, leave me to the wrath of the dishes,” Jane remarked, rolling her eyes playfully. Usnavi at least put his dish in the sink for her and put his coat on. Just before they left, Usnavi caught Carlos exchanging a look with Jane; he didn’t have time to question it before they exited the apartment.

The sun has just finished setting as Usnavi walked by Carlos’ side until they reached the park. The place was nearly empty and Carlos eventually walked off the path, “This way.”

Usnavi swallowed lightly as the area seemed to get darker, moving between some trees. They eventually arrived in a clearing of some kind, where only one streetlight illuminated the grass at the back. Carlos walked to the middle of the clearing before stopping, Usnavi standing a few feet away. “What are we doing here?” Usnavi asked, shoving his fear down.

Carlos took a deep breath, “I’ve been wanting to tell you this for a long time now, Usnavi,” He said, his back to his nephew. “and I’m even more scared then you probably are right now, because I don’t want… _this_  to ruin our family.”

Usnavi frowned in confusion, “Nervous about what?” He dared to ask.

“What I’m about to do…it’s not something I share with just anyone,” Carlos responded, making Usnavi feel a bit more scared.

“What are you talking about?” Usnavi asked uneasily.

Carlos turned to face him, “I need you to trust me, Usnavi,” He said. “Can you do at least that much?”

Usnavi hesitated, but nodded, “I trust you.”

Carlos nodded, “Alright, then,” He said. “Close your eyes, Usnavi.”

Usnavi frowned slightly, but did as he was told. He stood anxiously, one eye daring to open and peek. “No peeking,” Carlos said, and Usnavi closed his eye again. He waited a little longer, not hearing any kind of noise.

“Can I look now?” He eventually asked. Carlos didn’t respond, so Usnavi took it as a yes. He slowly opened his eyes, and…

Usnavi almost couldn’t describe what he saw. He still saw his uncle, but he looked…different. His hand expanded until it became furry, paw pads appearing on the palm, and his face became furry as well. Two ears emerged from his hair and his face slowly elongated to create a muzzle.

Usnavi couldn’t stop himself from gaping in shock; his Tío Carlos…was a wolf.

For what felt like forever, Usnavi simply stared, his face impossible to read. “What do you see?” Carlos asked, his body tense.

“…You…You’re…” Usnavi rasped.

“I’m not a werewolf, if that’s what you’re thinking,” Carlos said. “Those are just myths.”

Usnavi finally stopped gaping, focusing on his uncle’s voice, “Does…does Tía…?”

“Yes,” Carlos nodded. “I told her, just like this; just before we got married.” Carlos’ ears seemed to droop as Usnavi remained silent, “Are you scared?”

“I…I don’t know…” Usnavi responded honestly. He wanted to feel scared, but he just…didn’t. Why? Because… “You’re still my Tío…aren’t you?”

Carlos raised his ears, “Of course; you’re still my nephew,” He said. “You and Jane are part of my pack.”

Usnavi took a few steps forward, slowly reaching out, “Can I…?” Carlos smiled and lowered his head, allowing Usnavi to touch his fur. It was so soft and warm, Usnavi almost wanted to curl up in it.

Once Usnavi removed his hand, Carlos slowly shifted back to normal, his fur and ears vanishing flawlessly. Without a word, he drew Usnavi into a hug, holding him close,  _“Gracias, mijo…”_

Usnavi slowly smiled and hugged him back. His uncle was a wolf, but he was still his uncle.

They walked home together, Jane waiting for them at the door. Usnavi and Carlos didn’t say anything, and Jane didn’t ask; the smiles on their faces were answer enough. She then made them all hot chocolate, and they sat down to explain more to Usnavi about his recent discovery.

Carlos explained that he was a descendant of an unknown species of wolf that went extinct centuries ago. When his parents died, it left him as the only descendant who carried both wolf and human blood. All his life, Carlos had been taught to never reveal his other side to anyone.

For a while, he was terrified of how those close to him would react and didn't plan to reveal his secret to anyone…until he met Jane, three years ago.

Back then, Jane was just a young lady, working two jobs to help pay her rent and live comfortably. She barely kept in contact with Usnavi’s parents since work stole her away so much. And one day, a man entered the bar where she was working and sat in the corner, all alone. Jane wasn’t sure what caused her to do it, but the next thing she knew, she had wandered over to him, asking if he wanted a drink. The man said he didn’t want anything, but Jane gave him a drink anyway, on the house.

After that, the man kept coming back, ordering a drink for Jane to deliver. The orders became conversations, and soon Jane finally learned the man’s name: Carlos. After that, the rest is history. Carlos was terrified when he first told Jane his secret, but she had accepted it, because she knew the man she loved. They had decided to wait and surprise Usnavi’s parents with the happy news, but…they never got a chance.

“Why did you tell me now?” Usnavi asked, once their stories were done.

Jane and Carlos shared a look, “Because…” Carlos started.

“I’m pregnant, Usnavi,” Jane said, getting straight to the point.

Usnavi gaped, “R…Really?”

“Really.” Jane nodded.

Carlos placed a hand on Jane’s stomach, “This child is going to have wolf blood just like mine,” He said. “It’s going to grow as both a wolf and a human.”

“And you had to know if you were going to help us take care of your new cousin,” Jane finished.

A smile pulled at Usnavi’s face as he looked at Carlos’ hand on Jane’s stomach; the news that they were going to have a baby overshadowed anything he had seen that night. He moved forward and threw his arms around both of them, “I’m so happy for you!” He said.

Carlos smiled and put a hand on Usnavi’s head, “It’s going to a rough road,”

“But we’re gonna get through it, together,” Jane finished.

“I’m gonna have a cousin,” Usnavi whispered in delight.

“You’ll finally have someone to keep you company,” Carlos said.

“And we'll have someone to babysit if we need a break,” Jane joked.

“Hey, it’s your kid, you take care of it!” Usnavi laughed. The family of three laughed as the stars shone brightly above them.

* * *

 The next nine months were fraught with joy, excitement, as well as nervousness. A baby was a huge change, and this baby was going to be part wolf! Usnavi couldn’t help but wonder what kind of baby his new cousin would be. He was going to be able to watch it grow up, and be almost like a sibling to it. Usnavi had always wanted a younger brother or sister of his own, having grown up an only child. He wanted to take care of someone younger than him, to teach someone important things like Usnavi’s parents taught him.

As the months passed, those thoughts only grew, until, the time finally came. Jane gave birth in that tiny apartment. No hospital, no doctors, not even a midwife. Carlos said that the chances of their child coming out looking like a newborn pup were 50-50. It was a risk they couldn’t take. So, they did it alone, as the grey clouds covered the sky.

Usnavi sat outside their room, sitting curled up against the wall as his aunt’s grunts and cries of pain echoed through the apartment, despite her biting down on a washcloth to help absorb the pain. He tried so hard to tune it out, and he eventually did, because the next thing he knew, his uncle appeared next to him, his expression tired, but relieved.

Carlos silently nodded and helped Usnavi to his feet, leading him into the room. Usnavi stared at the sight; Jane was propped up on the bed, her face red and covered with sweat from exhaustion, and her hair matted and stringy. She held a bundle on blankets against her chest, and she was smiling down at it lovingly until she looked at Usnavi. Usnavi and Carlos slowly made their way to either side of the bed and Jane lowered the bundle. Usnavi’s eyes widened as a tiny face appeared in the blankets, sleeping peacefully.

“It’s a boy,” Jane whispered.

A smile tugged at Usnavi’s face as he carefully climbed onto the bed to get a better look, lying next to his aunt. “He’s so…” Usnavi gingerly poked the blanket, “…tiny.”

Carlos chuckled, climbing onto the other side of the bed next to his wife, “Yeah, our tiny son, and your tiny cousin.”

“I think brother is more appropriate,” Jane said, looking at Usnavi, “Every child needs a sibling after all.” Usnavi’s smile became more affectionate as he gazed at the baby. “Want to hold him?” Jane asked.

Usnavi looked at her in surprise, “I-Is that okay?”

“Here,” Carlos moved to the other side of the bed next to Usnavi, “We have to be careful.” Carlos sat behind Usnavi and helped as Jane carefully handed off the baby. Carlos helped Usnavi position his arms properly, and soon, Usnavi was holding his new baby cousin.

Usnavi stared in amazement at the tiny being in his arms; he felt so light, so…fragile. The baby gurgled as he moved slightly in the blankets, yawning and getting more comfortable. Jane and Carlos sat on either side of him, touching their new son.

“He’s a tough one, I can feel it,” Carlos said, “just like his mother.”

“And I hope he has a gentle heart, like his father,” Jane added.

“What will he be when he grows up?” Usnavi asked not taking his eyes off the baby.

“Who knows?” Carlos shrugged, “The sky’s the limit.”

“As long as he has someone to take good care of him and show him the way,” Jane agreed, gently touching the little curls sprouting from the baby’s tiny head.

“What are you gonna name him?" Usnavi asked.

The answer was given to them, as the cloudy skies parted, letting a ray of sunshine peek through the window and gently touch the baby. “Sonny. His name is Sonny.”

* * *

 That day was a miracle.

But the next day…was a tragedy.

It was raining on that day. Carlos went out that afternoon to get groceries…and he never came back. He had left a bag of groceries and his wallet by the door, but he was nowhere in sight. Jane went out to look for him, leaving Sonny with Usnavi. Usnavi was just as worried as Jane was, as he spent the entire time sitting on the couch, cradling Sonny and staring at the rain out the window.

Jane wandered through the city in the rain, looking for any sign of her husband. Eventually she found him…as a wolf…lying underneath a bridge, completely still.

Jane dropped her umbrella and stared, her mind trying to deny that it was him, but she only needed to see those steely blue eyes to know the truth. She could see feathers peppered all over his body; she wished she knew what he was thinking. Perhaps he had heard the call of the wild, and had gone out to hunt for food to give to his newborn child and mate.

Jane would never know, and all she could do was watch numbly as people put the deceased wolf in a bag, loaded him into the garbage truck, and hauled him away. Her heart was screaming at them as they drove away, wanting desperately to go to him, to touch his fur one more time, but her body was completely frozen. Carlos was gone.

The next thing she knew, she was stumbling through the door of the apartment, and Usnavi was in front of her, asking what was wrong. All Jane could do was hold him close and cry softly, while Sonny lay asleep in his crib set up in Usnavi’s room, unaware that he had just lost his father.

After that day, the months that passed seemed like a blur, but that didn’t make it any less painful for Usnavi. He went to school and tried to move on, but every time he came home, he kept seeing phantoms of his uncle cooking in the kitchen or staring out the window.

Jane was nearly inconsolable. She continued her job and cared for Sonny, but her eyes were empty and dull, devoid of life and spirit. When she wasn’t working, or just sitting and nursing Sonny, she would just stare silently out the window. She took care of Usnavi and Sonny, but slowly stopped caring for herself.

And one day, about seven months later, she collapsed, forcing Usnavi to call 911. Usnavi just remembered holding Sonny in his arms as they were rushed to the hospital, paramedics swarming his aunt.

By the time night fell, they had finally allowed Usnavi to see her. He remembered a nurse telling him that she didn’t have much time left, that she had simply lost the will to live. Usnavi knew it was because of Carlos; those two had been inseparable, but even so…Jane couldn’t leave him too!

Usnavi entered the room, still carrying Sonny, sitting next to his aunt’s bed as she tiredly gazed at him, a mask helping her breathe. “Tía…” Usnavi whispered, gently gripping her hand.

“Usnavi…” Jane gazed at him, sorrow in her eyes,  _“Perdóname, mijo…”_

Usnavi bit his lip, his eyes stinging, “Don’t leave, Tía,” He whimpered. “I need you…we both need you.”

Jane’s eyes glassed over as she slowly lifted her hand to touch the bundle that held her son, “I’m so sorry…” She whispered, “To both of you…”

“You can’t die, Tía!” Usnavi cried, still in denial, “I don’t want…I don’t want to be alone again…”

“You won’t be alone…” Jane whispered, smiling through her tears. Her hand found Sonny’s head and gently stroked it, “You’ll have each other.” Jane then lifted her hand and gently touched Usnavi’s damp cheek, “You’ve grown up so well, Usnavi…I don’t care what you do, but please promise me, one thing…”

Usnavi sucked in a breath as her heart monitor started to slow down, “Please,  _mijo_ …take care of my son…”

Usnavi reached up and touched her hand on his cheek, choking back a sob. The rain continued to pour outside, and the beeping of the heart monitor slowly devolved into a continuous noise.

* * *

 There was no funeral. Jane and Carlos didn’t really have any friends nor family left. So, after she passed, the doctors took her body to the morgue, and Usnavi simply left the hospital, numbly walking through the rain with Sonny in his arms. He took the bus home and unlocked the apartment, staring at the dark empty abode.

Usnavi put Sonny in his crib and went to his bed, where he promptly broke down into tears. He cried for hours, the rain tapping his window acting as a cruel symbol of what he was going through. Usnavi eventually uncurled himself on his bed, his eyes red and bloodshot as his dark bedroom seemed to close in on him. He had never felt so small and alone. When his parents died, Jane and Carlos had banished that loneliness by taking him in. But now…it was just him. He had no one.

Then, a small cry came from across the room. Usnavi slowly sat up, his eyes falling on the crib, “Sonny…?” Usnavi slowly got up and walked over to the crib, peering down at the baby boy within. Sonny’s arms were reaching up at him, despite his eyes being closed, so Usnavi gingerly reached towards him.

“Hey,” He whispered, carefully picking him up. He got Sonny settled in his arms and the boy’s fussing seemed to ebb away. Usnavi watched as Sonny slowly opened his eyes, and big brown orbs locked with his green ones. The two cousins stared at each other for a good minute, until Sonny smiled and began to laugh, squirming happily in his blankets.

A second later, Usnavi was doing something he didn’t think he’d be able to do again; he was smiling. “Hey, Sonny.” He whispered, gently booping Sonny’s nose. The baby giggled again and grabbed Usnavi’s finger.

Usnavi stared at the boy’s large eyes, full of innocence and wonder, with so much ahead of them. Sonny was just a baby now, but soon he would grow up, as a wolf person…just like his father. But he couldn’t do it alone.

 _‘Please, mijo…take care of my son…’_  Jane’s last words echoed in Usnavi’s head as Sonny let go of his finger. Usnavi stroked Sonny’s curls, feeling a swell of warmth as the baby seemed to lean into his touch. Sonny needed someone to take care of him, to teach him the difference between right and wrong, to help him find his place in the world. Sonny needed  _him_.

Usnavi took a deep breath and nodded, “I promise, Tía Jane, Tío Carlos,” He whispered, gently pressing his head to Sonny’s. “I’ll take care of him, the best I can.”

* * *

 After that day, Usnavi knew he couldn’t spend all his time being depressed. He now had a baby cousin to raise and a newfound determination to do so. Thankfully, Jane and Carlos had left them plenty of money in savings to pay for essentials, like rent, food, and clothes. They had started saving any money they could the day they moved in together, and it turned out to be worth it.

Usnavi quickly found out that taking care of a baby was a full-time commitment, even though Sonny was almost one. It wasn’t long before Sonny’s wolf-like qualities started to appear. One second he was a boy, and the next, he was a little wolf pup wearing a onesie.

While this wasn’t too bad, it quickly presented a problem. Usnavi had been thinking of hiring a babysitter to watch Sonny while he went to school, but Sonny transformed at the drop of a hat pretty much at random. He was too young to understand how to control it or how to stay as just a wolf or a person. Usnavi couldn’t risk anyone finding out that Sonny was a wolf child; it was clear that he was the only one who could take care of Sonny. Carlos only revealed his wolf identity to those he fully trusted, and Usnavi wasn’t going to make the mistake of trusting Sonny’s wolf side to a complete stranger.

So, Usnavi dropped out of school. He told himself that it wasn’t a big deal; he was seventeen, eighteen in a month; he was only missing one more year.

Usnavi’s days were then full of tireless work, needing to make food for both himself and Sonny, and caring for the baby’s seemingly countless needs. But Usnavi quickly found out he had no idea how to take care of a baby. Feeding, cleaning, and changing him was a lot harder than it looked. And with Sonny being part wolf, that just made everything even more confusing. How was he supposed to care for and raise something that wasn’t even fully human?

Usnavi had hundreds of questions, but no one to ask. He was on his own. So, he did the only thing he could do: learn how. Jane and Carlos had already bought a number of books on childcare before Sonny was born, but there was nothing on wolves, so Usnavi got some from the library.

When Sonny was laid down for a nap, playing, or put to bed for the night, Usnavi threw himself into research. He read all the books cover to cover, writing down notes and burning the information into his brain. And anything the books didn’t cover, he simply played by ear, figuring it out on his own. Usnavi researched for hours, even well into the night; he eventually lost count of how many times he had fallen asleep at his desk, only to be roused a while later by Sonny’s crying.

Usnavi had expected crying from Sonny; he was just a baby after all. But he learned the hard way just how much crying he would have to deal with, especially during the night. Some nights, Sonny would just cry endlessly, so all Usnavi could do was hold him until he cried himself to sleep. Usnavi thought it would only be temporary, but after a few weeks of waking up at midnight from his cousin’s crying, the situation quickly turned sour.

It got even worse when the neighbors got involved, who went out of their way to make Usnavi feel awful about the noise. Usnavi paced Sonny’s room, holding his bawling cousin as bangs from fists on the walls and broom handles under the floor accompanied the noise, demanding for peace. However, the noises seemed to only make Sonny even more upset; it was as if he felt bad for disturbing everyone, but he was too sad to stop crying. It was a never-ending cycle that lasted for hours, and even had a tendency to last all night long.

Needless to say, Usnavi wasn’t anyone’s favorite person in the complex, as his neighbors took out their sleep deprived crankiness on him, rather than the baby.

One night, Usnavi stood at the door as his angry neighbor ranted at him, “Would you shut that brat up?!”

“I’m sorry,” Usnavi apologized again. “I-I’m doing my best, but-”

“How am I supposed to sleep with him crying all the damn time?!” The neighbor demanded.

“I-It’s not my fault,” Usnavi said weakly. “He’s a baby, it’s what they do, they cry.”

“That brat needs a muzzle!” The neighbor growled and stormed away, slamming his door. Usnavi couldn’t count how many times this happened. Eventually, he just resorted to taking Sonny out of the apartment building and to the park or anywhere with fewer people around.

Usnavi would just pace in circles, gently bouncing Sonny in his arms, “Shh, it’s okay,  _mijo,_  you’re okay,” He soothed, rubbing his back, “C’mon, Sonny, I know you’re tired, we both are. Try to quiet down, okay?” Every time Sonny finally calmed down and went to sleep after hours of crying, Usnavi always felt like a weight had been lifted from his chest. He would walk slowly back to their apartment and pray that nothing woke Sonny up.

These sleepless nights seemed to last an eternity, and had a terrible effect on Usnavi when piled on top of caring for Sonny during the day. But he forced himself to stay awake and push through it; it was one of those moments where he was glad he didn’t have school to worry about anymore. But that didn’t stop his body from trying to force him to sleep. He had multiple close calls where he would nod off while doing housework, almost passing out on his feet. Whenever Sonny gave him a moment’s peace, whether it was an hour or five minutes, Usnavi would be gone within seconds.

Usnavi smiled as he lay on the floor, moving a little toy car around Sonny, and making fake car noises. Sonny laughed and took the car, rolling it around for a bit before putting the front of it in his mouth. It was then that Sonny looked up from his toy car and saw that Usnavi was sound asleep.

Sonny crawled over, “Na! Na!” He exclaimed and slowly crawled onto Usnavi’s stomach. Usnavi stirred as Sonny crawled up to his chest and lay on his stomach.

Usnavi jerked awake at the sight of curly hair and smiled, “What are you doing,  _mijo?”_  He teased.

“Na!” Sonny chirped. “Na!” He rubbed his face in Usnavi’s shirt, making the older one smile.

“What are you doing?” Usnavi chuckled, ruffling his curls, “What are you doing?”

Sonny looked up, “Na! Na!” He said and started reaching towards Usnavi’s face. “Na va! Na va!”

Usnavi laughed and wrapped his arms around Sonny, “I got you!” He exclaimed, rolling over and sitting up. Sonny squealed as he squirmed in Usnavi’s grasp. Usnavi began to tickle him and Sonny writhed in Usnavi’s arms, unable to escape. “I’m gonna get’cha!” Usnavi said, “Tickle tickle tickle!” Sonny laughed and Usnavi eventually relented, letting Sonny crawl away before he crawled after him.

Usnavi then saw fur growing on Sonny’s skin and the boy galloped away as a pup. “C’mere!” Usnavi lunged forward and grabbed Sonny, lifting him up and placing him on his chest as he rolled onto his back. Sonny laughed and licked Usnavi’s face and Usnavi gave him a peck on his wet dog nose, his initial tiredness melting away.

* * *

When Sonny turned two, the nightly crying stopped, finally giving Usnavi a bit more time to sleep on his own. Sonny only cried when he hurt himself or had a nightmare, which didn’t happen often. But in the place of crying, Sonny was now a little ball of whining energy that was quickly learning to talk.

Instead of holding him while he cried, Usnavi now had to work double time to make sure Sonny didn’t knock anything over or wander into something hazardous. One time, Sonny tried climbing the dresser in his room while Usnavi was folding clothes, and the older boy barely made it in time to keep them both from being crushed. Sonny’s appetite also became nothing short of ravenous, as he always seemed to want to eat. This became no more apparent than when Usnavi was preparing their meals.

“Food!” Usnavi looked down as Sonny tugged on his pant leg, “Food!”

Usnavi smiled as he watched the boiling pot. “It’s almost done, just be patient.”

“Food now!” Sonny protested.

“I’m sorry, Sonny but-”

“Food now!” Sonny yelled, stomping his foot. “Food now! Food! Food!”

Usnavi frowned at his tone as those little wolf ears peeked out of his curls and his face became that of a pup. “Sonny,” Usnavi said warningly. “Don’t you take that tone with me.”

Sonny pouted and scampered away on all fours, while Usnavi shook his head and went back to cooking. Now instead of his wolf transformations being random, they happened when Sonny was cranky or excited. Needless to say, he became a wolf a lot more often in that former regard.

Usnavi also had to take Sonny outside a lot more often. The boy had the energy of a real puppy, and he couldn’t stay in their tiny apartment all day. So Usnavi would bring him to the park if Sonny was getting fidgety in the middle of the day, or if they woke up early enough, they could get to the park when no one was around, allowing Sonny to run free as a wolf. Luckily, Sonny was a good boy in not running off in his own; he preferred to stay near Usnavi and always came when Usnavi called him.

Usnavi had heard that raising a puppy and a baby were almost the same thing, and at this point, he wasn’t denying it…except when Sonny’s teeth started to grow in.

Teething was a nightmare, as Sonny acted more like a puppy in that department. Usnavi would turn his back for a minute and Sonny would be chewing on something as a wolf pup. It wasn’t long before almost every visible surface had teeth marks or was ripped to shreds. Usnavi bought a few teething toys for both babies and dogs, just in case. On the bright side, Sonny could start eating more solid foods, making cooking a bit easier for Usnavi. He just had to make sure Sonny didn’t put anything in his mouth that he wasn’t supposed to.

Unfortunately, he learned that the hard way when the dilemma reared its ugly head in the worst way. Usnavi came back from the kitchen after washing dishes one evening, only to find Sonny as a wolf, on the ground in the laundry room.

“Sonny? Is something-” Usnavi’s eyes widened in panic as he spied the torn open Silica packet next to him and the vomit coming from his baby cousin’s mouth. “Sonny!” He gasped, kneeling next to the wolf. He put a hand on Sonny’s back as he grabbed the torn packet and gazed at the chemical beads covering the floor.

“Oh no…no no no!” Usnavi exclaimed, looking at Sonny in fear. Getting sick was a disaster and a conundrum; what was Usnavi supposed to do now? Usnavi wrapped Sonny up in a blanket and hurried out of his apartment, into the empty streets. He ran as fast as he could, holding Sonny close until he reached two buildings that were on the same street; the Pediatrician and the Veterinarian. Karma had a twisted sense of humor, sometimes.

Usnavi bit his lip and glanced anxiously between the two. Was he supposed to take Sonny to a doctor or a vet? Sonny had eaten the Silica packet as a wolf, but he had turned back into a boy while he was running here. And even if he did know which one to choose, what if he went in there and Sonny transformed? It was too big a risk! But Sonny was probably dying right now, he couldn’t just stand here! What was he supposed to do?!

Tears of frustration came to Usnavi’s eyes when he spotted a payphone nearby. It was a long shot, but it was better than nothing! Usnavi entered the booth, dialed the number of the pediatrician and sat down in the booth, cradling Sonny on his lap as his legs were close to collapsing from fear. “Yes, hello?” he asked when the phone picked up. “Um, my two-year-old just ate the inside of a Silica packet, and I-I don’t know what to do!”

Usnavi paused as the voice on the other line responded and he pulled the torn packet out of his coat pocket just in case in had any information he needed, “Yeah, a few times. No, no blood, I-I didn’t see any.” Usnavi bit his lip and kept glancing between the doctor and vet as the person on the other line rambled on about how Silica affects the body, not seeing that Sonny was opening his eyes and sitting up on his lap.

“Look, is it poisonous or something?” Usnavi finally asked, cutting the other person off. If something was seriously wrong, Usnavi was tempted to just burst into one of the buildings, transformations be damned! “I just need to know if he’s gonna be- what?” Usnavi blinked. “How’s his appetite?”

He then felt a small hand tug the front of his coat. “I’m hungwy.” Sonny said, looking up at him. “Can I eat?”

Usnavi felt a lump come to his throat in relief, “So…he’s gonna be okay?” He asked softly. Usnavi listened to the instructions he was given as he held Sonny close, stroking his hair. “Okay,” He nodded after a while, “Thank you.”

Usnavi stood up and hung up the phone only to deflate in relief against the booth, still holding Sonny close. He stared at the ceiling of the booth; that had been way too close for comfort. “I wonder how your Papí stayed in one piece while he grew up?” He muttered to Sonny.

“Can I eat now?” Sonny asked. Usnavi found himself laughing, almost tearing up in the process as he carried Sonny back home.

* * *

 Sonny had an upset stomach for a few days after that night, but he was perfectly fine once it passed. Maybe a little  _too_  fine.

“Can we walk?”

Usnavi looked down at Sonny, “What?”

“I wanna walk!” Sonny said.

Usnavi shook his head, putting down the dish he was drying, “No, Sonny you-”

“I wanna walk!” Sonny whined.

“ _Mijo,_  you were just sick!” Usnavi protested. “You should try to take it easy-”

“No!” Sonny stomped his foot, his ears and fur appearing, “I wanna walk! I wanna walk!”

Well, maybe fresh air would be good for him. “Alright, we’ll go for a walk,” Usnavi relented. “But tuck your ears in.” Sonny pawed at his head and then shook his head, making his wolf demeanor vanish.

“Okay, get your shoes on and we’ll go,” Usnavi said.

“Yay!” Sonny cheered, and he began jumping up and down happily. In a matter of seconds, he was jumping on all fours and barking happily as a wolf pup.

“Sonny, what did I just say?” Usnavi warned.

Sonny stopped suddenly, shook himself again, and he was a boy. “No ears!” He chirped.

“Atta boy,” Usnavi praised.

Sonny did as he was told and got his shoes on, and Usnavi helped him into his coat, making sure to put his hood up. They walked to the park, Sonny’s tiny hand in Usnavi’s larger one, Usnavi making sure Sonny’s hood stayed up. Sonny was getting only a little better at controlling his transformations, so they couldn’t be too careful.

They arrived at the park and Sonny smiled widely, “Look at the leaves, Navi!” He exclaimed, pointing at the autumn trees.

“I know,” Usnavi nodded, “They’re pretty, aren’t they?”

“Uh-huh!”

They walked along the path, Sonny kicking up the fallen leaves, when Usnavi’s eyes fell on a group of people nearby. It was a group of children, all about Sonny’s age, running and laughing together, while their parents lingered nearby. Usnavi felt his good mood start to dissipate at the sight, especially when Sonny looked at them as well, his eyes growing wide and curious.

Interaction with other kids had never crossed Usnavi’s mind, probably because he was so focused on keeping Sonny’s wolf side a secret. He looked down and saw the curiosity in his cousin’s eyes, wanting to know what was making those other kids so happy. Usnavi wanted Sonny to make friends, hell, he had tons of little playmates when he was Sonny’s age; but once again, Sonny’s transformations kept him from yet another normality. Even though the other kids probably wouldn’t notice or care, their parents sure would, and they wouldn’t want their children around something with sharp teeth and claws. Sonny would be an outcast, and that wasn’t happening at this age.

Usnavi swallowed and gave Sonny’s hand a little tug, “C’mon,  _mijo,”_  He said softly, and they kept walking. Maybe when Sonny was older he could play with the other kids, when he could control his transformations better; but at least for now, he wouldn’t be lonely. He had Usnavi, after all.

They eventually reached an emptier side of the park, with no kids around, “So, what do you want to do,  _mijo?”_  Usnavi asked.

“Let’s go ‘sploring!” Sonny exclaimed.

Usnavi chuckled; Sonny loved exploring more than anything, just wandering around looking for neat things he had never seen before. “Okay, ‘sploring it is!”

They spent a good two hours wandering around the empty parts of the park, finding plants, bugs, critters, and anything else that looked interesting. “Alright,  _mijito,_  it’s getting late,” Usnavi eventually said, “Time to go home.”

“Awww…” Sonny pouted, but followed Usnavi back towards the path. Usnavi held Sonny’s hand as they walked back through the park, when they passed a man walking a dog.

“Afternoon,” The man nodded to Usnavi, and glanced at Sonny, “Cute kid.”

“Thank you,” Usnavi nodded back and looked at Sonny, “Hear that,  _mijo?_  He thinks you’re cute.”

Just then the man’s dog stopped and started to bark. The dog rushed towards Usnavi and Sonny, the man holding the leash tightly, “Hey! Bad dog!” The man scolded. Sonny’s hand slipped out of Usnavi’s and he dropped to all fours; his wolf nose and fangs appeared and he let out a few angry barks and snarls.

Usnavi started in horror as the dog whimpered and recoiled and he scooped Sonny up, “I-I’m sorry!” He stuttered to the man, “I’m sorry!” Usnavi turned and hurried down the path, holding Sonny close to his chest, trying to keep the boy’s face hidden. He felt his heart in his mouth as a few people turned to stare, making his panic rise. Usnavi tried to act casual, but his need to get to the safety of home overwhelmed him, making him almost jog the rest of the way. Usnavi fumbled with the keys and hurried inside, slamming the door behind him still holding Sonny close to his chest.

Sonny peeked up at him as he breathed heavily, “Navi?” He asked. “You okay?”

Usnavi looked down at Sonny, who was a little boy again, and he put a shaky smile on his face, “Yeah, I’m fine,  _mijo_.” He finally put Sonny down and began taking his jacket off, “Want some juice?”

Sonny brightened and nodded, “Apple juice!”

“Okay; take your shoes off and wait in the living room.”

Sonny’s eyes widened, “Really?” Usnavi never let them eat or drink in the living room, because Sonny almost always made too big a mess.

“Yeah, but only if you don’t spill your juice,” Usnavi responded.

“I won’t!” Sonny chirped and hurried to take his shoes off before scampering into the living room.

Usnavi hung their jackets up before heading to the fridge and filling Sonny’s sippy cup with the desired apple juice and filling himself a glass as well. He needed  _something_  to relax him. That had been too fucking close; they probably should stay out of the park for a good while. He and Sonny could just walk through the city, and avoid any dogs at all costs…but in the city, even that was a near impossible task.

Usnavi walked into the living room, Sonny bouncing happily on the couch, and Usnavi handed him his apple juice. Sonny began sucking on the nozzle of his sippy cup and Usnavi sat down own next to him, sipping his own apple juice, letting the quiet of the apartment calm his nerves. Usnavi always felt better when he and Sonny were alone in their little apartment. Whenever they went out together, Usnavi could help but feel like everyone was watching at them. Eyes were everywhere, at every angle; there was no place to hide. Playing with Sonny outside was always nerve-wracking to Usnavi; it was pure luck that no one suspected anything in the park.

Usnavi looked at Sonny who was sipping his juice, careful not to mess with the lid so it wouldn’t spill. He wanted Sonny to be able to run around freely, have his own wide-open space where he could transform whenever he wanted, but living here…Usnavi felt trapped. It was a feeling that had been steadily growing ever since Usnavi had taken over Sonny’s care; was this place really the best for Sonny?

That question gnawed at the back of Usnavi’s mind for days, but he continued on. Simply taking long walks through the city was enough to satisfy Sonny’s energy, and Usnavi made up for it by playing more with him at home. Sonny became a wolf a lot more often when they played together in the apartment, barking excitedly all the way.

One night, Sonny let out a particularly loud howl, causing Usnavi to frantically shush him. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough, because the next morning, Usnavi was called down to the landlady’s desk.

“I’ve told you many times, young man, we don’t allow pets in this building,” The landlady said sternly. “I thought I made that perfectly clear.”

“I don’t have any pets, I swear,” Usnavi said softly.

“I’m not as simple minded as you may think, Mr. De la Vega,” The landlady said sharply. “I’ve heard that barking and howling many a time.” She took a deep breath, “You may be young, but that doesn’t excuse you from the rules, and if you can’t abide by them, you’ll have to find another place to live.”

Usnavi bit his lip and silently nodded, “Yes, ma’am…”

Usnavi told Sonny that he wasn’t allowed to bark or howl inside anymore, but it felt like the ice they were on was way too thin for it to be enough. And even more cracks appeared in that ice when there was a knock at the door one afternoon.

Usnavi frowned; visitors? They didn’t get any visitors unless it was a complaining neighbor, and Sonny had been quiet all day. Sonny had just fallen asleep on the couch on his lap as a wolf for a nap, but the knocking made his eyes crack open, “Wha’s tha…?”

“Just the door,” Usnavi whispered. “Stay here, and go back to sleep, okay?” He carefully removed Sonny from his lap and the wolf pup curled up into the couch, easily going back to sleep. Usnavi gave him a pat and went to the door, only opening it a crack. Two people were there, a man and a woman wearing suits; never a good sign.

“Mr. De la Vega?” The man asked.

“Yes?” Usnavi answered slowly and in a guarded tone.

“Sir, we’re from the Child Welfare Agency, and we’re here about Sonny De la Vega,” The man answered, and Usnavi felt his heart skip a beat. Child Welfare; the government; the equivalent of social services. “Sonny does live here, correct? Male, age 3?”

Usnavi swallowed, “Y-Yes; why?”

The woman stepped forward, “Sir, according to our records, this boy hasn’t been vaccinated or once been to a doctor,” She said in a sharp voice. “Care to explain?”

Usnavi felt the blood drain from his face. “Uh…” Usnavi’s brain ran a mile a minute, his heart in his mouth, “Th-Thanks for your concern, but don’t worry, he’s perfectly fine.” He made to close the door, but the woman stopped it with her hand.

“If you don’t mind, we’d like to see the boy for ourselves, to gage his well-being.” Her tone said he didn’t have a choice, but Sonny was asleep in the living room, as a wolf! Usnavi couldn’t wake him, he’d come running forward to greet the new visitors like an excited dog! Not to mention that Sonny still shifted between forms at random!

Usnavi tried harder to close the door, “I-I’m sorry, but I can’t let you-”

“Be reasonable!” The man said, trying to be the good guy, “It will only take a moment, and we’ll be out of your hair in no time!”

“No! Not right now!” Usnavi cried, pulling the door harder, “You can’t just barge in here-”

“If you refuse to cooperate, we’ll have no choice but to assume neglect!” The woman said loudly.

Usnavi’s eyes stung,  _“Just leave us alone!”_

Usnavi finally forced the door shut and locked it. He leaned against the door heavily, his throat tightening with panic. Oh god, he just did that. He just turned away Child Welfare, the ones who basically control where kids stay if the situation demands it! Now what was he going to do? Getting sick and being seen by other people was one thing, but this was another thing entirely!

Usnavi slowly sank to the ground, bringing his knees to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. The dim lighting of the apartment seemed to wrap around and squeeze him; there was no escape from the prying eyes of the city.

That night, Usnavi lay awake in his aunt and uncle’s bed; he liked to sleep there if he was feeling particularly troubled or scared. He stared down at Sonny, who was curled up as a wolf by his side. The boy had a habit of falling asleep next to him before Usnavi put him to bed, and he never had the heart to wake him up. Usnavi gently stroked his fur as everything that had happened whirled around in his mind.

Child Welfare knew about them, and by turning them away they probably now assumed neglect like they had said they would. Usnavi had to do something, or they would take Sonny away. Sonny wouldn’t survive in a home, or orphanage, or wherever the hell they stuck him! And if he transformed, things would just go from bad to worse; the kid would probably spend the rest of his life as a lab experiment!

Usnavi squeezed his eyes shut; what could they possibly do? It was bad enough that the neighbors and landlady were already on his back, but now this? Usnavi rubbed his face with his free hand before looking down at Sonny again. He had been trying so hard to do what was best for his baby cousin, but now he was at a crossroad. What was the next best step for them now?

Through the darkness, Usnavi’s eyes fell on his aunt’s nightstand, where the only framed family photo they had was displayed. It was a picture of Usnavi as a boy, his parents, Tía Jane, and a few other family members he didn’t remember. It was a long time ago; Jane hadn’t met Carlos yet. But Jane had stuck a little headshot photo of Carlos into the frame, adding him into the family. Right beside the picture, was Carlos’ postcard of the mountain town where he was born and raised.

Usnavi picked it up and his eyes focused on the mountain; he had never been to a mountain area, but it was perfect for a wolf to live. He still remembered his uncle telling him about it, with such a fondness in his voice. Lots of trees, wide open spaces, and the towns have learned to live in harmony with the nature around them. If only they lived in a place like that…

Wait. What if they  _did_  live in a place like that? Someplace new, a clean slate, a second try at raising his baby cousin properly. In a place like that…Sonny could learn how to be both a wolf  _and_  a human. He wouldn’t be forced to choose; he could make his own decision, and grow up the way he wanted to.

Usnavi looked back at Sonny and smiled, “We’re gonna be just fine Sonny,” He whispered. “Tomorrow is gonna be a new start, for both of us.”

* * *

The next morning, Usnavi wasted no time. He called the Moving Services and made all the proper arrangements. In a few short days, Usnavi and Sonny’s few possessions were all packed in the back of a truck and heading out of the city. The city had a nice mountain area many miles outside; it wasn’t the same place Carlos had been raised, but it was out in the country, very remote, and away from prying eyes, which was enough for Usnavi. He gazed out the window of the truck as the tall buildings of the city almost instantly became replaced with tall trees, huge fields, ponds, and a wonderful view of the mountain.

The drive took many hours, causing Sonny to fall asleep on Usnavi, seated up front between Usnavi and the realtor who was droning on about the countryside. “Don’t get me wrong, this is a wonderful environment for raising children, but all of the city folk that have moved out here in the past have all thrown in the towel.”

“Why?” Usnavi asked.

“They can’t handle living so far out,” The realtor answered. “It’s an hour drive to the nearest town and school, two hours if you walk, and most of them can’t handle living around all the nature, with bugs and critters and the like.”

Usnavi smiled lightly, “I don’t think that will be an issue for us,” He said, looking down at his dozing cousin. They drove for a while longer until they came across a long driveway that was almost hidden by the trees. balancing the still sleeping Sonny on his hip, Usnavi followed the realtor up the driveway, laying eyes on the house before them. It was pretty big, and two stories, and it looked like something out of a book, the way it seemed to blend in with the nature around it.

“It’s so big…” Usnavi breathed. “And it’s in the same price range?”

“Yep; back in the day, this was an expensive one, but it’s been abandoned for years,” The realtor said, unlocking the door with the keys. “However, you’re gonna be on the hook for repair costs cause this place needs a ton of work; luckily, the shed out back still has tools.” He shoved the door open on its rusty hinges and they entered.

The whole place was dark, and coated in dirt, cobwebs, and dust “Yeah, I know; it’s ugly as sin,” The realtor chuckled. “But it surprisingly still gets electricity, air, heating, and water.”

They wandered through the house, finding every room to be just about empty, with the exception of a few dusty cabinets and shelves. “They really didn’t leave anything behind,” Usnavi mused.

“Yeah, this place has become a pretty blank slate,” The realtor agreed.

Usnavi saw a large, filthy, sliding glass door that led to a huge grassy backyard, and Usnavi even spied some fields little ways away, “Are those fields part of the backyard?”

“Yep, but I wouldn’t go buying seeds yet,” The realtor said. “Animals come down from the mountain and eat everything; it’s not exactly the easiest farmland.”

Usnavi nodded in understanding, “And what about neighbors?”

“Not really.” The realtor shrugged. “The nearest neighborhood is a good half hour walk away.”

“I see,” Usnavi answered, taking in all the information. Out of all the houses they had seen out here, this was the most isolated one. And honestly, despite how run down it was, Usnavi could already feel himself growing attached to it. This house was left all alone, abandoned; it didn’t have anyone, just like Usnavi and Sonny did.

“So, on to the next one?” The realtor asked. “There’s a nice little place in the nearby neighborhood that-”

“I’ll take it.”

The realtor started and looked at Usnavi, “What?”

“This is the house I want,” Usnavi nodded. “It’s perfect for us.”

“A-Are you sure?” The realtor asked, too at a loss for words to question any more than that.

“I’m sure,” Usnavi said sincerely.

“Well…alright then; would you like the paperwork now?”

Usnavi signed everything he needed to, and after that, he and the realtor started moving their things out of the truck. Usnavi left Sonny in the front seat, the boy curling up in the sun-warmed seats as they worked. They didn’t have much, but Usnavi was hopeful that they could add more to it after they lived here for a while.

Once all their stuff was out of the truck, Usnavi gently picked up the still sleeping Sonny, thanked the realtor, and headed inside, holding the keys to their new home. Usnavi gazed around the old dusty place as he stood in the foyer; it certainly was a fixer upper, but it was exactly what they needed.

Usnavi gently bounced Sonny, “Hey  _mijito_ , it’s time to wake up,” He called gently. Sonny’s eyes fluttered and he yawned, stretching as best he could. “Notice anything different?” Usnavi asked, slight teasing in his tone.

Sonny rubbed his eyes, finally waking up, and looked around. Usnavi chuckled as he gaged the reaction on Sonny’s face, slowly moving from tired and confused, to surprised and amazed. “Whoa!” Sonny exclaimed, “Where are we, Navi?!”

“This is our new home,” Usnavi said.

Sonny looked at him in shock, “You mean we live here now?! This is all ours?!”

“That’s right!” Usnavi said, putting Sonny down, “Why don’t we go look around?”

Sonny just about lapped through the house while Usnavi followed. “It’s soooo big!” Sonny exclaimed. “We could fit a hundred people in here!”

“That might be a little much,” Usnavi chuckled.

Sonny ran ahead until he skidded to a halt, “Stairs!” He squealed running up on all fours. “Navi, there are stairs!”

They climbed the stairs and onto the second floor. It wasn’t as big as the ground floor, with only three rooms; one was a bathroom, and the other two were small and empty. They could be anything, so Usnavi decided, “Alright, which room do you want,  _mijo?”_

Sonny looked up at him with a gasp, “I can pick?!”

“Yeah,” Usnavi nodded. “You’re a big boy now, so you can have your very own room.”

Sonny’s smile was so big it could light up the city. They visited both rooms, Sonny giving them a quick run through to see which ones he liked better, even though they were empty and just about the same. “This one! I want this one!” He finally decided, bouncing in the room that was just a tad larger than the other.

“Alright; then the other room will be mine.” Usnavi said. They headed back downstairs and Usnavi took the lead this time, “This is the best thing about this place.” He led Sonny to the backyard, and the boy was ecstatic.

“This is all part of our house,” Usnavi said. “You can play out here whenever you want.”

Sonny wasted no time leaping down the steps and running through the tall grass. He laughed and ran around in big circles, arms spread like a bird, “It’s so biiiig!” He exclaimed. He ran over to the run-down tool shed, “Look, we have a crooked little house!” He ran through the grass spinning around at all the bugs, “We got bugs for neighbors! Whoa! Look at that!” He ran over to a little grass hill and climbed to the top, “Hey, Navi, watch this!” He waved and he rolled down the hill before springing back to his feet and running around again.

“So, what do you think?” Usnavi asked, even though the answer was obvious.

“This place is awesome!” Sonny yelled, pumping his fists in the air.

Usnavi chuckled, “Then let’s start moving in.”

* * *

 

The first thing on the list was to get their beds ready, since repairs were clearly going to take more than a day. Usnavi swept out both their rooms, both he and Sonny coughing and sneezing from the amount of dust, dirt and cobwebs filling the air. Sonny wanted to help sweep so Usnavi gave him a broom, but it ended up making a lot more dust fly through the air.

Once the floors were properly swept and mopped, Usnavi set up their beds in both rooms. Sonny ran and leapt onto his bed once it was ready, rolling around and staring up at his new ceiling, “I have my own room!” He cheered.

Usnavi smiled at the sight, but it quickly faded when he stepped out of Sonny’s room and was reminded that he had the rest of the house to clean. He told Sonny to go explore their new backyard and started sweeping the rest of the house. Luckily, the sliding glass door leading to the backyard was huge, giving Usnavi a place to push the dust and dirt out.

It only took a couple hours to sweep and mop the rest of the floors in the house; now he could focus on actually fixing things. Usnavi called Sonny and they went over to the tool shed, pushing the rusty door open. Inside were tons of rickety old shelves, holding an array of objects.

“Go and see what you can find,” Usnavi said, nudging Sonny forward, “But put it right back where you found it, and try not to make anything fall.”

“Okay!” Sonny chirped and wandered off to one half of the tool shed. Usnavi went the other direction and skimmed over the shelves. He easily found a large toolbox, full of tools that seemed to be in working condition, as well as a bunch of gardening supplies; maybe the people who lived here last used those fields to grow food.

“Navi! Navi!” Sonny cried happily. “C’mere! Look what I found!”

Usnavi made his way to the other end of the shed, “What is it  _mijo?”_  He looked behind a shelf and his eyes widened. Sonny was jumping up and down happily in front of a big red bike.

“A bike, Navi! We have a bike!” Sonny cheered, reaching up and holding one of the handles. Usnavi went up and looked it over; it was just his size, and wasn’t broken. It was dusty and dirty, but the whole thing seemed in working order. Usnavi’s hopes rose when he realized that the bike had a child seat attached to the front, along with a large basket. He could use this to help himself and Sonny get around! They didn’t have a car and didn’t know the bus schedule yet, so it was perfect!

“Good job,  _mijo!”_  Usnavi praised, ruffling the boy’s curls.

“Can you ride it?” Sonny asked.

“Maybe,” Usnavi said, kneeling next to it, “I’ll have to clean it up and see if it works, but if it does, you can ride with me.”

“I can?” Sonny asked excitedly.

“Yeah, see this seat?” He pointed to the child seat, “You sit here, and then I can steer the bike without you falling.”

Sonny gasped and began jumping around again, “Can we ride it now? Can we? Please please please?” He asked.

Usnavi chuckled, “I told you, I have to clean it first,” He said. “We can ride it some other time.” Sonny pouted, but didn’t seem too put out. “Now, why don’t we find more stuff?” Usnavi offered.

“Kay!” Sonny said and hurried off.

Usnavi took the toolbox and placed it outside the shed, and looked around for more things. Whoever had this house last was quite prepared; there were extra shingles, wood, and even paint, though Usnavi doubted it was any good anymore. Sonny found a bunch of broken stuff, like a lawnmower and a power drill, but he did find a functioning wheelbarrow, which Usnavi could see being useful.

When they were done, Usnavi gazed at the house; he had no idea where he was supposed to start. Eventually, he decided on the kitchen; they were gonna need a place to eat, after all. He first turned on the faucet and left it on so the muck from inside could be rinsed out, and he scrubbed the sink, followed by the counters. As he cleaned, he realized that both the sink and the counters were made of some kind of smooth stone material. All the grime coating it had somehow protected it from damage over the years.

Usnavi smiled and ran his hand over the smooth surface of the counter, “What other secrets are you hiding?” He muttered. He cleaned out the cabinets and the oven next, and made sure the oven still worked before moving all their kitchen boxes in to set up. Sonny came back in from playing outside, already covered in grass stains and dirt and wanted to help. Usnavi made him wash his hands first and Sonny passed Usnavi things from the boxes for him to put in their proper places.

Once the kitchen was done, Usnavi started on their bathroom. Luckily, the water in both the sink, toilet, and bath worked just fine, they just needed a lot of scrubbing. The bathroom had so much grime that it took Usnavi the rest of the day to clean it; he was almost too tired to make dinner that night, but Sonny’s constant whining for food helped keep him awake and thankful that he had bought groceries before they moved.

That night, after Usnavi tucked Sonny into bed, the boy curled under the covers. It was his first night in his own room! Sonny nuzzled his pillow and closed his eyes…when he heard a creak. Sonny opened his eyes only to see nothing in his dark room, but he heard all the sounds. The old windows creaked and moaned, and cracks on the wall slowly turned into slowly growing shadows.

Sonny hid under his covers and tried to go to sleep, but the noises were just too loud. Sonny squeezed his eyes shut and tried to listen carefully when he remembered that he was alone, and one sound was now absent:

Usnavi.

Ever since he could remember, Sonny could hear Usnavi’s breathing at night when he slept. It always made the dark so much less scary when he knew Usnavi was nearby, right across the room. But now, Usnavi was a lot farther away, in his own room, and the darkness seemed so much more foreboding without him.

Sonny bit his lip and shook his head, turning over; he was a big boy now! Usnavi said so! He had his own room now, he couldn’t let the dark scare him! Sonny shuddered as the windows moaned again; if it wasn’t so dark, those noises wouldn’t bother him at all! Sonny curled further into his blankets as he felt the darkness choking him; he had to get out of the room!

Sonny threw the covers off and slowly slid out of bed; he wasn’t scared, not at all! He just…wanted to make sure Usnavi was still there. Yeah, that’s it! He had to make sure Usnavi was okay; what if he was scared of the dark, too?

Sonny went to his door and he pushed it open, cringing when a loud creaking noise came from the movement. Sonny’s eyes widened as he gazed down the dark hallway before him; Usnavi wasn’t just a few feet away this time. Sonny swallowed and tentatively took a step forward, slowly followed by another, then another, and another. He could do this. But as he traveled to Usnavi’s room, he gradually moved to all fours and ears poked out of his curls.

The next morning, Usnavi woke up to see a small brown wolf wearing pajamas curled up by his side, sound asleep. Usnavi smiled and gave Sonny a gentle scratch behind the ears, making the boy yawn and open his eyes. “Morning,  _mijito_ ,” Usnavi greeted. Sonny yawned in response. Usnavi propped himself up on his elbows, “Have trouble getting to sleep last night?” He asked.

Sonny looked like he was about to protest, but Usnavi gave him a look that made the wolf cover his muzzle with his paws. “It was too dark…” Sonny muttered.

Usnavi chuckled and rubbed Sonny’s back, “Don’t worry, sleeping alone is always scary,” He reassured. “Once I get this place completely fixed up, maybe we can get a lamp or nightlight for your room.” Sonny shook his head, still not looking at Usnavi as he slowly morphed back into a boy, so Usnavi ruffled his curls and got up, “You want breakfast?”

That made Sonny perk up, “Yeah!” He leapt off the bed, turning right back into a wolf and hurrying down the stairs, Usnavi following.

* * *

The next few days were fraught with cleaning on Usnavi’s end, and exploring on Sonny’s. Sonny kept finding brand new things as he explored their giant backyard, from tiny bugs to little critters. There were a few larger animals too, but Sonny turned into a wolf to make himself feel a little braver (which helped make his room a bit less scary). The stray cats and critters that wandered around were soon sent packing away from their house, to escape the energetic little wolf pup who ran towards them which a great amount of enthusiasm.

Meanwhile, Usnavi kept refurnishing their new house. The place needed cleaning above all else, and any visible repairs he had to do were minimal. He was a little afraid if there were any defects from within the house, since that was completely out of his department. Usnavi eventually decided that he would do what he’s been doing for the past four years; play it by ear. If something went wrong, they would try to fix it from there.

The first major defect reared its head when they had their first rainy day; the roof was leaky beyond belief. Usnavi and Sonny had to use almost all their pots, pans, and cups to catch all the drips, though Sonny had a blast watching the water drip into all the containers. He made up a little game where he would hold his hand out and try to pull it away before the next drop of water hit. Though with Sonny’s wolf senses, he always beat Usnavi at that game.

When the rain stopped, Usnavi checked the roof as best he could, finding quite a few missing shingles. He remembered the extras in the tool shed and managed to replace them, hoping that would solve the problem. Rain came again the very next day, and while there was a lot less leaking, Usnavi still had to put out a few pots to catch some drops.

However, while fixing up the rest of the house, Usnavi found quite a few small wonders; the cabinets that had been left behind had glass in the doors, and almost all of them had designs carved into the glass. Even the sliding glass door had some expert carvings of flowers and leaves donning it. Usnavi even found a portion of wall with faded pen marks still visible, marking measurements and dates.

Usnavi smiled and looked outside, an idea coming to mind. He grabbed a tape measure ad a pen from one of their boxes and moved back to the portion of the wall. “Hey Sonny, c’mere for a second!” He called.

A few moments later, Sonny came inside, covered in dirt and grass as usual; he really went to town when he went outside. “What?” Sonny asked, wandering over to him.

“Stand against the wall here,” Usnavi said, gesturing to the wall.

Sonny tilted his head but did as he was told. “Push your back against the wall,” Usnavi instructed positioning Sonny, “Try not to move.” Sonny grimaced but obeyed and watched as Usnavi unrolled the tape measure and placed the side of his hand against the wall right where the top of Sonny’s head ended. Usnavi glanced at the tape measure and opened the pen, “Okay, you can move.”

Sonny moved away, stretching from being in a stiff position and watched Usnavi wrote a dash and something next to it. “What are you doing?” Sonny asked.

“I’m measuring you,” Usnavi answered. “This way I can keep track of how tall you’re getting.”

Sonny gazed at the mark and looked at the others above it that were faded due to time. “Could I be that tall?” He asked, pointing to one of the higher marks above his own.

“Maybe; we’ll have to wait and see,” Usnavi said with a shrug. Giving Sonny the hope that he could become taller seemed to help with his problem of sleeping alone, along with slowly cleaning and filling Sonny’s room with his stuff, though little he had. Usnavi also helped by keeping the hall lights on until he himself went to bed, but Sonny was soon able to sleep the whole night by himself.

After a few more days, Usnavi finished fixing the house to the best of his ability and he and Sonny finally unpacked their last box; they were officially moved in. “We did it!” Sonny cheered as they stood in their living room.

Usnavi smiled and ruffled Sonny’s hair; it was still really empty since they only really had their sofa, coffee table and side table to fill it, but it was a start. Usnavi knelt down and put his arm around Sonny, “Well, I think a day like this calls for a special dinner,” He said. “Why don’t we go down to the town and get something special?”

“Yeah!” Sonny said happily, “Are we gonna walk?”

Usnavi smiled, “I have a better idea.” He led Sonny out into the backyard and slid the tool shed door open. Sonny waited outside and his eyes grew as big as the moon as Usnavi rolled the red bike out of the shed, shiny, clean, and good as new.

“You fixed it?” Sonny asked in delight.

“I said I would, didn’t I?” Usnavi said, patting the child seat in the front. “Do you wanna go or not?”

“Yeah! Yeah!” Sonny cheered, running towards him. Usnavi picked him up and seated him the child’s seat before rolling the bike out to the driveway. Usnavi mounted the bike and slowly rode the bike out to the road; it had been so long since he had ridden a bike. He could barely remember his Papí teaching him how.

“Navi?” Sonny turned in the seat to look at him, “Could I try riding this bike sometime?”

Usnavi smiled and ruffled his curls, “Maybe one day, when your feet can reach the pedals.” Usnavi started pedaling on the side of the road and the road traveled up for a short while. Sonny kicked his feet excitedly as he saw the large stretch of downhill road before them.

“Hold on,  _mijo!”_  Usnavi said and pushed forward. Sonny squealed with delight the whole way down.

* * *

Vanessa breathed deeply through her nose as she stretched, walking down the road of the barrio. She was in a rare good mood today, and she wanted to make the most of the relaxing feeling before someone or something inevitably came and ruined it. She didn’t need to be at the salon until a little later in the day, so she took her time wandering to the grocery store. She went inside and sighed as she approached the beat-up coffee machine; this was the only place you could get halfway decent coffee, and even then, it wasn’t that great. It was just so…plain, and no amount of cream, sugar, or even cinnamon could make it any more exciting.

Vanessa stared down at the plain liquid as she swiftly paid her dollar and headed out the door. She was about to go her own way, when something caught her eye; a boy. Vanessa faced the sight fully, and sure enough, a boy was crouching on the sidewalk against the wall near the door, scraping the crack with a stick.

Vanessa blinked and stared at him; she definitely hadn’t seen this kid before. She had seen the face of just about every kid in the barrio, and this was a new one for sure. The boy looked no older than four and was wearing a thin jacket, his hood on his head where a few curls poked out. Vanessa glanced around, hoping to see the kid’s parents around, but didn’t see anyone. She bit her lip; she really wasn’t the touchy-feely type, so she hoped to God this kid wasn’t lost. Well, at least he wasn’t crying or anything. Maybe she could at least keep him company.

Vanessa took a deep breath and wandered over, “Hey.”

The boy looked up and his eyes widened when he realized she was talking to him. Vanessa crouched down next to him and the boy began to fidget; fuck, she was making him nervous. “Uh, what are you doing?” She asked, gesturing to the crack he was poking with his stick.

The boy looked at the ground, glancing at her every so often, “Looking for bugs…” He answered softly.

Vanessa nodded, “Have you found any?”

“Just some ants,” The boy answered.

Vanessa nodded again, trying to think of something else to say. “So…are your parents around?” She asked.

The boy nodded and pointed towards the entrance of the store. Vanessa glanced up in time to see a young man exiting the store, wearing a red shirt and a black and white hat and a plastic bag on his arm. He moved towards his bike that was parked nearby and it occurred to Vanessa that she hadn’t seen him before either. The boy scampered away towards the man and hid behind his legs, peeking out at her.

The man glanced down at him before his eyes met Vanessa’s. His eyes widened like he wasn’t expecting her to be there, “Uh, hi,” He managed, getting his stuff on his bike; he certainly seemed in a hurry.

“Hi,” Vanessa said with an awkward wave, “Uh, you got a cute kid.”

The man glanced at her again while he quickly placed the boy on the bike, “Oh, thanks,” He said shortly, mounting the bike, “I gotta go; bye!”

“Bye…” Vanessa frowned lightly as he sped away on his bike; what on earth was that about? Vanessa made her way to the salon, where Daniela and Carla were chatting as they got the place ready.

“Hey, Vanessa!” Carla greeted with a wave that Vanessa returned.

“Dani,” Vanessa said as she put her things down, “Did someone new move in?”

Daniela knew everything that happened in the barrio before anyone else; she had to know something. “Did you see him?” Daniela asked.

“I don’t know,” Vanessa shrugged, “I just ran into a guy I’ve never seen before and he took off on a bike a while ago.”

Daniela hummed, “I heard that he moved into the old place outside the barrio, near the mountain path.”

Vanessa blinked, “The old mountain house?” She asked in shock; she hadn’t been up to that empty house in years. It used to be a prime place for exploring when she was younger. But the place was falling apart the last time she saw it. “Why would he want to move there?”

“Who knows?” Daniela shrugged.

“What did he look like, Vanessa?” Carla asked.

“Pretty young, maybe early twenties,” Vanessa recalled from the brief few seconds she saw of him. “And he had a kid with him, looked about three or four.”

Carla tilted her head, “Is he married, then?”

“I didn’t see anyone else with him,” Vanessa said.

Carla looked at Daniela, “Does he have a job or anything?”

“I don’t know,” Daniela responded again.

“He’s got a kid, he’s  _got_  to have a job to take care of him,” Vanessa pointed out.

“All I know is that he came from the city,” Daniela said. “From very far away; he probably wanted to ‘have a simple life’.” She made air quotes. The three girls couldn’t count how many city-folks had moved out here with that claim.

“How long do you think he’ll last?” Carla giggled.

Vanessa snorted, “Once he realizes he has to ride that bike every other week to get groceries, he’ll be gone.” 

* * *

Usnavi sighed in relief as the neighborhood quickly flew out of sight as he pedaled up the road. That certainly could have gone better, though he should’ve expected running into neighbors in the goddamn neighborhood! Though he had to admit, that girl…she was really pretty. But there was no way she would talk to him after an awkward introduction like that. Once they were alone, Usnavi got off his bike and walked it, as the way home was uphill.

“M’ sorry Navi,” Sonny mumbled.

“What?” Usnavi looked at him.

“I didn’t talk to her, she just came up and started talking to me and I didn’t know what to do,” Sonny said guiltily. Oh; Usnavi had told Sonny not to talk to strangers before he went into the store.

Usnavi smiled, “ _Mijo,_  it’s not your fault,” He said. “Sometimes it’s okay to talk to people you don’t know; just remember not to let them take you anywhere without me knowing.” Sonny brightened with a nod and Usnavi focused on walking again. It took a good while to get up the hill with the groceries weighing them down, but once the road turned flat again, Usnavi was able to ride the rest of the way. They got home, put the groceries away, and Usnavi cooked dinner, finally able to eat in their fully-moved-in house.

After dinner, Sonny splashed happily in the bathtub while Usnavi rubbed shampoo into his curly hair. He stared at the wall in thought as Sonny took his plastic bucket and dumped the water over his head, washing out the soap. They had blown a good chunk of money on groceries today, and combined with all the repairs he still had to do and Sonny getting bigger, they were going to have to save as much money as possible.

Usnavi would also have to get a job of some kind; he hadn’t had a chance to job-hunt with the move taking up so much time. Not to mention that going all the way down to the town was a too long journey to make every time they needed food, even if it was just for the two of them. Usnavi then remembered the large fields outside. Almost all the dwellers around here seemed to grow their own food, so maybe they could do the same. But Usnavi knew nothing about growing food; well maybe that was something they could do tomorrow.

“I guess we’re gonna have to be more frugal from now on,” He said to himself.

Sonny perked up, “What’s frugal?” He asked.

“It means we’ll have to grow our own food instead of buying it,” Usnavi answered.

Sonny lit up, “Like a garden?” He asked.

“Exactly,” Usnavi nodded.

“Can I help?” Sonny asked excitedly.

Usnavi chuckled, “Sure you can.” Usnavi lifted Sonny out of the tub and turned to get his towel, only to yelp as he was sprayed with water, from Sonny shaking himself off as a wolf. Sonny giggled, but Usnavi got revenge as he still covered him with the towel and rubbed him down.

“Where’s my little boy?” Usnavi teased. “I saw a wolf, but where did my boy go?”

“Right here!” Sonny chirped, poking his little human head out of the towel.

Usnavi chuckled, “C’mere, you little tamale!” Sonny squealed as Usnavi scooped him up, wrapped in the towel like a burrito and brought him to his bedroom, where he gently tossed him onto his bed. Usnavi picked up Sonny’s pajamas as Sonny tried to untangle himself from the towel. Usnavi was able to get Sonny’s pajama bottoms on, but the moment he was able, Sonny was a wolf once again.

“Uh-oh, the wolf came back!” Usnavi exclaimed, grabbing Sonny before he leapt off the bed. “Why does my boy keep disappearing?” Sonny’s tail wagged as Usnavi hugged the squirming wolf to his chest, scratching him behind the ears.

“Wolves stay up all night!” Sonny said, trying to climb over Usnavi’s shoulder, “I’ll never go to bed!”

“Oh really?” Usnavi pulled Sonny back onto his lap and started to wrestle his pajama shirt over the wolf, “Then I guess that means only little boys can get bedtime stories.” Sonny’s struggles ceased after that, and Usnavi managed to get Sonny’s front paws through the sleeves, “Now, where’s my little boy?” Usnavi asked playfully. “It’s time for his bedtime story.”

Sonny’s human head appeared through the head of the shirt, “Here!”

“There he is!” He lightly tickled the toddler, making him kick and squeal before he picked Sonny up and pulled back the boy’s covers, “What story do you want tonight,  _mijo?”_  He asked as he placed him on the bed.

“Do the one about the boy and the girl and the candy house!” Sonny said while Usnavi pulled the covers over him.

“As long as you don’t sneak into the fridge again.” Usnavi said with a knowing smile.

“That story makes me hungry.” Sonny said, as if that solved everything.

Usnavi chuckled and sat down on the side of his bed, beginning the story, “Once upon a time, there were two children named Hansel and Gretal…”  

* * *

The next day, Usnavi took Sonny to a mobile library in town. It was a small and cramped little place, but had tons of books to go around. Usnavi led Sonny to the shelfs that held the picture books, “Wait here and look through some of these, okay?” He said. “If you like some we can take them home with us.”

“Okay!” Sonny chirped and began looking through the shelves.

Usnavi went to the other shelves and eventually found plenty of books covering how to grow and tend crops. Just from skimming the books, it was clear that it was a lot of work; he was definitely gonna need more than one book. He got a good pile together and went to check them out. The lady started stamping them, when Sonny appeared next to Usnavi, “These too, please!” He said, raising to his tiptoes to place a few picture books next to Usnavi’s books. His hood fell back, and a wolf ear dared to poke out.

“Sonny!” Usnavi hissed, pushing the hood back down, and nearly pushing Sonny to the ground as well. Thankfully, the lady stamping their books didn’t even bat an eye, and completed her task.

They exited the library, carrying their books and Usnavi looked at Sonny, who’s ears had disappeared, “ _Mijo,_  why did you change into a wolf?” He asked.

“There was a wolf in the book.” Sonny answered, a bit of hurt in his voice. “I thought it looked cool…”

Usnavi sighed; Sonny still didn’t seem to realize how dangerous his transformations could be. Usnavi had been protective about it with Sonny almost his whole life. Maybe he just hadn’t been clear enough.

That night, as Usnavi tucked Sonny into bed, he decided to put it to rest. “Sonny, you being a wolf child is our little secret, okay? That means you can’t tell anybody.”

Sonny tilted his head, “Why not?”

“If you change into a wolf around people, they’ll get scared, and people can do bad things when they’re scared,” Usnavi explained, sitting on the side of Sonny’s bed. “They might run away or try to hurt you because they’ll think you’re a real wolf.”

“Like in the book?” Sonny asked, holding up the Little Red Riding Hood book that Usnavi had just read to him.

“Exactly,” Usnavi nodded, “So, I want you to promise me that you’ll never turn into a wolf around other people, especially when we’re out of the house. Do you promise?”

Sonny nodded, “I promise.”

“Atta boy,” Usnavi said, running a hand through his curls when something else came to mind. “Also, if you meet other animals out here, I want you to be nice to them and not pick any fights with them.”

“Why?” Sonny asked.

“Because it’s what your Mamá and Papí would’ve wanted,” Usnavi answered. “Your Papí was a wolf boy too.”

Sonny perked up, “He was?”

Usnavi nodded, “That’s right.”

Sonny looked a bit confused, “But…aren’t you my Papí?”

Usnavi froze for a split second; he didn’t expect that answer and he felt his cheeks turn pink. “Uh…no, I’m not.”

“Then what are you?” Sonny asked.

“I’m your cousin,” Usnavi answered. “Your Mamá and Papí were my Tía y Tío.”

“Where are my Mamá and Papí?” Sonny asked.

Usnavi clenched his jaw; he should’ve seen this coming. They had never really had a proper discussion about Jane and Carlos, had they? Guess now was as good a time as any. “Your Mamá and Papí, they…” Usnavi took a deep breath, “They’re gone.”

“Gone?” Sonny asked. “Where did they go?”

Usnavi licked his lips, picking his next words carefully, as he put a hand on Sonny’s chest, “Do you feel that?” He asked.

Sonny blinked and put his hand where Usnavi’s was, the elder placing the younger’s hand in the correct spot. Sonny smiled and nodded, “I’m thumping.”

“That’s your heart,” Usnavi nodded. “Now feel here.” He leaned forward and moved Sonny’s hand to his chest.

“You’re thumping too!” Sonny said in amazement.

“That’s  _my_  heart; everyone has their own heart, and it thumps all the time,” Usnavi said, removing Sonny’s hand. “But eventually, your heart will stop thumping, and so will mine and everyone else’s,” Usnavi explained, “And when your heart stops thumping, you go to a special place; that’s where your Mamá and Papí are.”

“What kind of special place?” Sonny asked.

“I don’t know,” Usnavi admitted. “No one knows, but it’s supposed to be a beautiful place where everyone is happy.”

“So, Mamá and Papí are in the special place?” Sonny asked. “Can we go see them?”

Usnavi shook his head, “No; you can only go to that place when your heart stops thumping, and once you go…you can’t ever come back here.”

"Oh..." Sonny’s eyes softened as he finally seemed to understand, “But they’re happy, right?” He asked.

Usnavi smiled in relief, “I’m sure they are.” He said; thank god that didn’t go horribly wrong.

“What were Mamá and Papí like?” Sonny asked.

“Your Mamá was a human, like me,” Usnavi said, relieved for the subject change. “She was nice, pretty, and a hard worker; she sometimes worked all day.”

“All day?” Sonny asked in surprise.

“All day,” Usnavi confirmed.

“Even more than you?”

Usnavi chuckled, “Even more than me, and even more than your Papí.”

“And Papí was a wolf boy too, right?” Sonny asked.

“He sure was,” Usnavi said. “He was a nice wolf; he didn’t hurt any people or animals, except when he was hunting.” He looked at Sonny seriously, “That’s why I want you to be a nice wolf too, because your Papí would want you to be nice, okay?”

Sonny nodded in understanding, “Okay.” Usnavi nodded in satisfaction and stood up.

“Navi?” Sonny asked.

“Yeah?”

“Where are your Mamá and Papí?”

Usnavi sucked in a sharp breath, facing away from Sonny. He hadn’t thought about them in so long…he had been focusing on Sonny so much…it had already been so long since that day… Usnavi rubbed his face, “They…” He swallowed thickly, “they aren’t here anymore.”

He could feel Sonny deflate in sadness, “Are they where my Mamá and Papí are?” He asked softly. “Did their hearts stop thumping too?”

Usnavi nodded, “Yeah…”

“Do you miss them?”

Usnavi took a shaky breath through his nose, his eyes stinging; he desperately wanted to run out the room before he completely broke down. Instead, he steeled himself and sat back down on the bed, “Yeah, I do,” He said softly. “I miss them every day.” He managed to put a smile on his face, “But your Mamá and Papí took good care of me before they left; and now I’m gonna take care of you.” He booped Sonny on the nose, making him giggle.

Usnavi stood up again, “Now, bedtime.” Sonny nestled under the covers and Usnavi tucked him in, “ _Buenos noches,_  Sonny.”

Sonny yawned,  _“Buenos noches, Papí…”_  He murmured, his eyes drooping closed. “I love you…”

Usnavi froze again, but his shocked expression quickly melted into adoration as he ran his fingers through Sonny’s curls and kissed him on the forehead. “I love you too,  _mijito,”_  He whispered. Usnavi stood up and quietly exited the room, turning off the lights and leaving the door open a crack as he watched his sleeping boy.

Once he turned away, Usnavi deflated, tears stinging his eyes, and slowly made his way downstairs. He sat on the couch and his gaze fell on the side table that held their only framed family photo. Usnavi picked it up and stared at it, his fingers brushing the frozen smiling faces.

“It’s been a rough start…but we’re doing our best,” Usnavi whispered, a few tears breaking free. “I wish one of you guys were still here; Sonny needs someone to look out for him and… sometimes I wonder if I’m enough.” Usnavi swallowed and gazed out the sliding glass door, “I’m basically a kid raising a kid, and I feel like I’m making things up as I go; doesn’t Sonny deserve better than that?”

Usnavi leaned back and looked back at the picture, his eyes falling on his parents. He bit his lip as he remembered how hard his parents had it back when they were alive. Running a little store, along with raising him…sometimes Usnavi wondered how they did it. In fact, thinking about it now, Tía Jane and Tío Carlos would’ve had their hands full if they were still alive. They would’ve both had work and Usnavi would’ve still been in school; it probably would’ve been just as hectic.

Usnavi took a deep breath and put the picture back on the side table; he was going to have to be enough. He was just gonna have to try everything and do everything he could to make sure Sonny turned out right. They had a new start now, a blank slate. They were going to be fine.

* * *

The next day was bright and sunny, and Usnavi decided it was a good day to try and get their fields ready. He stood by one of the two fields on their property and took a deep breath as he skimmed his book one last time; judging by the state of the fields, he had his work cut out for him. Usnavi told Sonny to play while he got things started (the boy was still determined to help), cutting down all the weeds and tall grass with the tools left behind in the shed.

Once the grass was cut, he started digging up the soil and removing any rocks. He them lined the fields with furrows and finally called Sonny over to help plant the seeds. Usnavi dug the holes and Sonny then put a few seeds in for Usnavi to bury. When they were done, they filled the watering cans (Sonny’s only filled halfway so he could carry it) and watered the field.

“Now what do we do?” Sonny asked once they were done.

“Now we wait for them to start growing.”

Sure enough, the next day, little green plants could be seen sprouting out of the soil; Sonny was so excited he could’ve jumped to the moon and back. Usnavi followed the books he got to a T, keeping up with the watering and taking care of their crops as they steadily grew bigger. But one day, after a night of rain, Usnavi and Sonny went out to see that all their plants had become floppy and brown.

“What happened, Navi?” Sonny said sadly, poking the limp leaves, “Why are they floppy?”

Usnavi shook his head as he perused his book, “I don’t know,  _mijo_.”

After going through his books once more, Usnavi decided that the soil wasn’t strong enough; they needed fertilizer. Luckily, his books were able to list what would be acceptable, and soon Usnavi and Sonny found themselves out in the woods of the mountain gathering fallen leaves. Usnavi mixed the leaves in the soil, re-plowing the whole field in the process.

This time, Usnavi got some sprouting vegetable plants, so they wouldn’t have to wait as long for them to grow. “Grow this time…” Usnavi whispered as he put the plants in the soil. They went through the same routine, watering their new crops, but a few days later in the evening, when Usnavi was washing dishes…

“Navi?” Usnavi perked up as he heard Sonny call. “Navi, c’mere!”

Usnavi dried his hands and wandered around the house, “Where are you, Sonny?”

“Out here!”

Usnavi headed outside and found Sonny standing by the fields. “What is it,  _mijo?”_

Sonny pointed to the field, “They’re all floppy again,” He said sadly.

“What?!” Usnavi exclaimed and hurried over to their crops. Sure enough, all the leaves were becoming brown and floppy, holes rotting through them. “What happened?” He asked himself, kneeling and examining the leaves, “A disease or something?”

“Navi?” Usnavi looked up to see Sonny looking at him with big, worried eyes, “What are we gonna do?” Sonny asked. “Are we not gonna have food?”

Usnavi almost crumbled at the despairing look on his little cousin’s face, but he managed to put a smile on his face, “No, we’ll be fine,” He reassured, keeping his voice strong, “I just need to work harder and try again, that’s all.” Sonny still looked worried so Usnavi put a hand on his head, “Will you be my little helper again?” He asked.

“Okay,” Sonny said softly.

 _“Gracias, mijo.”_  Usnavi then heard footsteps and looked up to see an elderly woman coming towards them. Usnavi stood,  _“Hola,”_  Usnavi greeted as Sonny ran and hid behind his legs.

The old woman smiled, “ _Hola;_  I heard that we had new neighbors, so I wanted to come and see for myself.”

Usnavi nodded, feeling a bit uneasy that he had forgotten about the neighbors again, “I’m sorry we haven’t come down to introduce ourselves; you didn’t have to come all the way up here, Ms…”

“Claudia,” The woman answered, “and don’t worry, mi amigo Kevin was gracious enough to drive me up here.”

“Well, it’s nice to meet you Ms. Claudia,” Usnavi said.

Claudia smiled warmly, “ _Por favor,_  call me Abuela.”

Usnavi couldn’t help but smile back; he had just met this woman and already felt so comfortable around her. “Alright, Abuela; I’m Usnavi and this is Sonny.” He said, prompting Sonny to peek out from behind him.

Abuela smiled down at Sonny,  _“Hola, mijo.”_

Sonny said nothing and hid his face in Usnavi’s leg. “Oh, he’s shy,” Usnavi said, placing a hand on Sonny’s head.

“It’s alright,” Abuela said. “Moving to a new place can be scary.” Sonny barely looked at her and there was a hint of a smile on his face. Abuela gazed out at their fields, “It seems you’re having a bit of trouble.”

Usnavi chuckled, “Yeah, growing our own food is a lot harder than I thought.”

Abuela nodded, “Well, no one ever succeeds on the first try,” She said.  _“Paciencia y fe.”_

Usnavi nodded in agreement, and Sonny looked up at him, “What does that mean?” He whispered. Usnavi looked down at him, but before he could answer, another figure walked towards them, a middle-aged man wearing a tie.

 _“Hola,”_  Usnavi greeted, Sonny hiding his face again.

 _“Hola,”_  The man nodded, standing next to Abuela, “So you’re our new neighbor.”

Usnavi held out his hand, “Usnavi De la Vega, and this is my cousin, Sonny.”

The man shook his offered hand, “Kevin Rosario; I run the radio dispatch in the barrio.”

Abuela looked at Kevin, “Is Camila calling you?”

Kevin smiled, “You know how she gets when I’m late.”

Abuela nodded, “I’ll head back to the car.” She smiled at Usnavi and Sonny, “Try to come visit soon; you’re both welcome anytime.”

Usnavi smiled and nodded, “It was nice to meet you.” Sonny peeked out and gave a small smile and wave as Abuela slowly walked back the way she came.

When she was out of sight, Kevin glanced at the dead crops, “First time farming?” He asked.

“Yeah.” Usnavi nodded, Sonny completely hiding his face in his legs again. “Is it that obvious?”

“You could say that,” Kevin said, kneeling and inspecting the leaves, “Where did you two come from?”

“The city,” Usnavi answered.

“Well, that explains it,” Kevin said, standing up straight. “You have no idea what you’re doing, do you?” Usnavi inwardly winced, and didn’t respond. Kevin looked behind him to see that Abuela had made it safely in the car, “It was a pleasure meeting you,” He said. “I’m sure I’ll be seeing you again soon.” He turned and walked off before Usnavi could ask what he meant.

Once the car drove out of sight, Usnavi started pulling out the dead crops, Sonny by his side. “I liked that old lady,” Sonny said, fiddling with one of the floppy leaves.

“You mean Abuela?” Usnavi asked.

Sonny nodded, “She was nice.” He frowned lightly, “But that man with her was scary.”

Usnavi snorted softly. “Yeah, but he was right,” He said. “I really don’t know what I’m doing.”

Sonny looked up at him, “Even though you’re a grown-up?” He asked.

Usnavi nodded, “I didn’t have anyone to teach me things after your Mamá and Papí left.” He sighed, “Sometimes I wish I asked them how to do more things.”

Sonny frowned lightly and stood up, walking towards him, “You can do it, I know you can,” He said, touching Usnavi’s shoulder. “You always do stuff right, so…so just keep trying, and I’ll help!”

Usnavi smiled and pulled him into a one-armed hug, “ _Gracias,_   _mijo_.” He could always count on Sonny to pick him up when he was down.

* * *

The next day, it was pouring down rain, far too hard for Sonny to go out and play. The boy was a bit put out at not being able to go out and splash in the puddles, but he was able to entertain himself by drawing or looking through his picture books. Both cousins sat in the living room, Sonny looking at his picture book and Usnavi reading through another plant book he had gotten a few days back from the mobile library. He was hoping that it held more information the other books might have missed. He had to figure out how to properly grow food soon or they would really be screwed.

They sat in silence, Usnavi lying fully on the couch with Sonny leaning on him between his legs as the drops from their leaky roof created a strange but soothing rhythm as they fell into the pots and cups placed here and there.

_Knock knock knock!_

Usnavi and Sonny looked up at the noise. “Who could that be?” Usnavi wondered out loud, putting his book down and getting up. He cracked open the door to see a man wearing a rain coat and holding a plastic bag.

“Hey!” The man greeted with a smile.

“Can I help you?” Usnavi asked.

“I’m Benny, I live down in the barrio,” The man responded. “Sorry, but do you mind if I come in? It’s really pouring out here.” Usnavi nodded and let the man in; he wasn’t sure why he did it so easily, but he did remember seeing him a few times when he and Sonny went to town for groceries.

Benny took off his hood as Usnavi closed the door and stuck out his hand, “Like I said, name’s Benny, Benny Washington.”

“Usnavi De la Vega.” Usnavi answered, shaking the offered hand.

Benny frowned lightly, “Usnavi?” He repeated slowly. “As in U.S. Navy?”

“I know, I know, laugh it up. I’m used to that reaction by now,” Usnavi said good-naturedly. In all honesty, he had missed people having a reaction to his name. He had isolated himself for so long… “Anyway, what are you doing all the way out here?”

“I should be asking you that since you decided to actually move in here,” Benny joked. “But yeah, it just felt a little weird technically having a new neighbor and not meeting them, you know?”

Usnavi nodded in understanding, “Yeah, we would’ve come down and introduce ourselves but,” He glanced around at the house, “it’s been pretty busy.”

“Yeah, did you actually fix this place?” Benny asked, looking around as well. “I barely recognized it when I drove up here.”

Usnavi shrugged, “More or less.”

“Nice,” Benny nodded, when he glanced down at the bag he was carrying. “Oh yeah; these are for you.” Benny held the bag out to him, “Consider it a ‘Welcome to the barrio’ gift.”

“Oh, thanks.” Usnavi took it and peeked inside, seeing strange looking potatoes inside, “What are they?”

“Seed potatoes.” Benny answered. “They’re basically like big potato seeds; we had extra so my boss told me to give them to you.”

“Your boss?”

“I think you’ve met him already; Kevin Rosario.”

Usnavi started, “R-Really?”

Benny grinned, “Don’t be intimidated by him; the guy’s all bark, he’s harmless.”

Usnavi smiled, “I guess so, if he was willing to part with these.”

Benny shrugged, “Well, it was more his wife’s idea, but he went along with it.” He smirked, “Didn’t really have a choice, if you know what I mean.” Usnavi snorted.

“Would you like anything?” He asked. “I mean, you came all the way up here…”

“Why not?” Benny said, and followed Usnavi into the kitchen. Benny glanced around, his gaze lingering on all the pots catching the water, “Leaky roof?”

Usnavi smiled uneasily, “What gave it away?” He joked.

Benny chuckled, “Well, I’m not surprised,” He said, walking around. “Old house like this, I’m surprised the whole roof wasn’t gone when you moved in.”

“I’m glad that wasn’t the case,” Usnavi said. “I’ve re-shingled the roof three times, but I always seem to miss a spot.”

“Hey, don’t beat yourself up; the rest of the place looks really damn good,” Benny said. “As for the roof, I could probably give you a hand with that.”

Usnavi started, “Really?”

“Sure, no problem!” Benny said. “I’ve learned about repairing stuff, living all the way out here, and I know for a fact that leaky roofs are a bitch to fix by yourself.”

“You’d really help me?” Usnavi asked, still hung up on that detail.

Benny shrugged, “Why wouldn’t I?”

“We…just met?” Usnavi tried.

Benny laughed when something caught his eye. He turned to see Sonny peeking out from behind the wall. “Hey there, kiddo,” He greeted.

“That’s my cousin, Sonny,” Usnavi said, before looking at Sonny, “C’mon out  _mijo,_  it’s okay.”

Sonny slowly emerged from behind the wall and ran right past Benny to hide behind Usnavi’s legs. Usnavi and Benny chuckled and Usnavi put a hand on the back of Sonny’s head, trying to coax him out of hiding, “Sonny, this is Benny,” Usnavi said. “He’s from the barrio.”

Sonny stared up at him so Benny crouched down so he was at the same eye level, “How ya doin’ Sonny?” He asked kindly.

“C’mon  _mijo,_  say hi,” Usnavi gently urged.

Sonny slowly but surely moved to stand beside Usnavi, his little hand still gripping his pants, “…Hi,” He said softly, barely making eye contact with the other man.

Benny chuckled, “Don’t worry, little man, I don’t bite. At least not as much as your cousin probably does.”

“Hey!” Usnavi exclaimed.

To Benny’s delight, Sonny let out a soft snort and hid a smile. “Ah, got you to laugh; I knew you had a good sense of humor,” Benny said, holding out his fist. “Punch it in.” Sonny’s smile grew a little bigger and he hesitantly pounded Benny’s fist. Usnavi smiled at the sight; Benny was quickly becoming his favorite neighbor, and probably Sonny’s too.

After that, the three found themselves sitting at the table with glasses of water and talking. As they talked, Sonny slowly lost his shy demeanor and began participating in the conversation as Usnavi and Benny exchanged stories of how they came to this remote little town. Usnavi couldn’t remember the last time he had had a casual conversation with someone; it was a feeling that was very welcome after everything he and Sonny had gone through. It was nearly sunset when they finally stopped talking and Usnavi saw Benny to the door.

“Thanks for offering to help with my roof,” Usnavi said as Benny opened the door.

“It’s no problem, little homie,” Benny said.

“Are you sure?” Usnavi asked again.

“Trust me,” Benny smiled and clapped him on the shoulder. “One thing you’ll find out real quick is that in this neighborhood, we look out for each other.” He left before Usnavi could ask what he meant.

* * *

The next day, it was sunny and warm again, so Usnavi decided to make use of the seed potatoes they had received the day before. He and Sonny only planted about three of them before a car pulled up alongside their field. It was Kevin Rosario, and he was followed out of the car by a woman and a teenage girl who looked just a few years under Usnavi. Sonny moved and hid behind Usnavi’s legs again, but seemed a bit braver as he didn’t hide his face and looked the strangers right in the eye.

“ _Hola,_  Mr. Rosario,” Usnavi greeted.

“Hello, Usnavi,” Kevin nodded. “I’d like you to meet my wife, Camila, and my daughter, Nina."

“Nice to meet you,” The teenager greeted with a bright smile.

“We’ve been hearing a lot about you,” Camila added, shaking Usnavi’s hand.

Usnavi nodded and blinked when he remembered the bag of seed potatoes next to his feet. “Oh, thanks for these seed potatoes, by the way.”

Camila glanced at the ground, “Well, now I’m thinking we should have just thrown them out.”

Usnavi blinked, “Huh?”

“This soil isn’t ready for planting,” Kevin said, stooping down and feeling the soil, “It’s too dry and not rich enough; you need to dig up richer soil from underground.”

Usnavi’s eyes widened; no wonder nothing was growing! It wasn’t the seeds or disease, it was the soil all along!

“When Dad told Mom about your fields, they decided to come ‘help’.” Nina made air quotes.

“You don’t need to be sarcastic about it; we’re here to supervise,” Camila said, shooting Nina a look.

“R-Really?” Usnavi asked.

“Farming the land like this isn’t easy, especially for someone your age,” Kevin said.

“I’m almost twenty…” Usnavi said quietly.

“Even so, you need someone to teach you how this is done properly,” Kevin said. Usnavi stared at them; he had just met Kevin two days ago and he had met Camila and Nina today, and they were offering to help him?

“Well, you better get started,” Camila said, snapping Usnavi out of his thoughts. “It’s going to take a long time to get dig up all that soil.”

“Oh, right,” Usnavi said, before glancing at Sonny, “But…my cousin-”

“I’ll take care of him,” Nina said, stepping up with a kind smile.

Usnavi started, “Uh, are you sure?”

“It’s no problem,” Nina said easily. “I’ve babysat some of the other kids around the barrio before.” Usnavi opened his mouth to protest, as he wasn’t sure if he was ready to let a stranger look after Sonny, but he really didn’t have a choice in the matter.

Nina knelt down in front of Sonny, “Hola,  _niño,_ ” She said kindly, “What’s your name?”

Sonny kept glancing between the ground and Nina, “…Sonny…” He said softly.

“Hi, Sonny, my name’s Nina,” Nina said sweetly. “Do you wanna go play while your cousin works?”

Sonny’s eyes widened; he had never been asked to play by someone who wasn’t Usnavi before! He looked up at Usnavi hopefully, and his elder cousin couldn’t say no to that face. “It’s okay,  _mijo,_  you can play,” He said.

Nina held out her hand, “C’mon; we can play whatever you want.”

Sonny took her hand with a smile and Usnavi knelt down briefly to touch Sonny’s shoulder, “Behave; remember your promise.”

Sonny nodded, “I will.”

“Atta boy.” Usnavi smiled and stood up, Nina taking her leave.

Nina stopped as she passed him, “Good luck; they’re a force to be reckoned with when it comes to this,” She whispered with a wink. Usnavi smiled uneasily, and Nina went on her way with Sonny. He just hoped Sonny behaved himself.

Usnavi faced Kevin and Camila, “So…how much deeper do I have to dig?”

For the next few hours, Usnavi was digging up the entire field once again. From what Kevin and Camila told him, he was gonna have to dig up the soil a lot. The couple made a point to stay and monitor Usnavi’s progress.

“Once the soil is nearly black, you’re there,” Kevin instructed.

“What about fertilizer?” Usnavi asked between breaths.

“Have you been using the leaves from the forest?” Camila asked. Usnavi nodded. “Then that should be plenty.” Usnavi couldn’t help but feel a little relief that he had done one thing right, and he kept digging.

“That’s the way,” Kevin said after a while, making Usnavi sigh in relief and lean against his hoe. “Once you’re done, dig up this second field the same way.”

Usnavi looked up at the second plot that was up on a hill next to the one he was standing in; they wanted him to tend both of them? “Isn’t that a bit much?” He asked. “I mean, there’s only two of us.”

“You can never have too much food growing,” Camila said. “What are you going to do if something happens to the crops in this one?” Usnavi sighed, seeing her point; better safe than sorry. Cutting down all the tall grass gave his arms and back a break, but the aching was back with a vengeance once he began breaking through the ground.

Two hours later, both fields were ready, and Kevin and Camila instructed him on making furrows. Usnavi knew what they were and how to make them thanks to the books he had read, but Kevin and Camila quickly made him realize that he had been doing it wrong.

“That’s too small, they need to be bigger.”

“Space them further apart, you don’t want them too close together.”

Despite being exhausted and sweaty, Usnavi made sure to listen and absorb every word they said. The sun beat down on him, sweat poured down his body, and his limbs felt like they were going to fall off, but Usnavi kept pushing through. He had to get this right. It took all day, but by sunset, Usnavi had finished.

Camila looked over his work and Kevin sat on the side of the field, cutting the seed potatoes in half. Usnavi’s hoe landed heavily on the ground as his arms felt like they were full of lead. He looked up at Camila who was eyeing his handiwork with a sharp eye,  _‘Please, let this be good enough…’_

Camila walked around the field, a smile growing on her face, “Now this is a field ready for planting.” Usnavi smiled tiredly and he looked out at his fields; they definitely looked much more professional than before.

Kevin stood up and placed the bag by Usnavi’s feet, “Wait a week, then plant them cut-side down in the furrows,” He explained.

“And don’t water them,” Camila added, “Just leave them be, and they’ll grow on their own.”

Usnavi nodded, still breathing heavily,  _“Gracias…”_  He breathed, looking at them gratefully, “Really, thank you, I-I honestly don’t know what I would’ve done-”

“Thank us when you have potatoes growing,” Camila responded with a smirk. “Put some meat on those bones.” She gently prodded Usnavi’s ribs, but he hid a wince.

At that moment, Nina appeared, coming from the house, “Wow, these look great!” She commented, gazing at the fields. “I think you’re about set.”

“I hope so,” Usnavi said, still between breaths. “Did Sonny behave himself?”

“Oh yeah, he was a little sweetheart,” Nina said with a smile. “I gotta say though, he really loves putting on those fake dog ears.”

Usnavi froze and barely remembered to put on his poker face, “Oh yeah,” He chuckled nervously, “He’s like a puppy in more ways than one, you know?”

“I’m not surprised,” Nina laughed.

“Thanks for watching him,” Usnavi said gratefully.

“It was no problem,” Nina said. “Tell him that I’ll hopefully see him again soon.”

“I will.” Usnavi nodded.

Kevin nodded back, “Have a good night,” He said and he and his family headed back to their car.

“You too,” Usnavi responded.

Sonny peeked out of the grass as the car drove away before hurrying down to his cousin. “Navi?” He asked. “Are you okay?” His answer was given to him as Usnavi’s legs just about crumpled under him. “Navi!” Sonny cried, moving to his side.

“I’m fine,  _mijo_ …” Usnavi breathed, “Just a bit sore, that’s all.” He took off his gloves only to see little red sores dotting his hands.

“You got boo-boos!” Sonny cried.

Usnavi chucked; guess even gloves can’t protect you from blisters when you work all day. “It’s alright, Sonny; I’m fine, really,” He reassured him. “Could you put the tools back in the shed for me?”

“Uh-huh.” Sonny turned into a wolf and picked up the hoe in his mouth, carefully turning before running on all fours.

Usnavi trudged back to the house and all but collapsed on the couch, relishing the cool air from inside. A few moments later, Sonny crawled up and sat next to him, still a wolf. Usnavi lay a hand heavily on the wolf’s head, “I’m fine, Sonny, don’t worry.”

“Are you sure?” Sonny asked, resting his front paws on his chest.

“I’m sure.” Usnavi nodded, “I learned a lot today; hopefully soon we’ll have some food growing.”

“Really?” Sonny asked, a smile coming to his face. “They won’t get floppy again?”

“I hope not,” Usnavi said truthfully. Only time would tell if his hard work paid off. “Did you have fun with Nina?” He asked.

Sonny brightened at the question, “Yeah! She was really nice and pretty!” He said, his tail wagging. “We read books and went sploring; it was fun!”

“Good,” Usnavi scratched Sonny behind the ears and smiled, “It’s about time we started making friends around here.”

Sonny smiled and jumped off the couch, “Can we eat now?” He asked.

“In a little bit,” Usnavi said, leaning his head back on the couch, “Let me get a little more rest first.”

* * *

Usnavi was sore for a good few days after, and when he was on his feet again, Benny offered to help him with his roof. Sonny watched from the backyard as Benny and Usnavi sat up on the roof with Benny’s toolbox, seeking out where the leaks were coming from.

“The shingles aren’t the problem, the caulk’s been damaged,” Benny pointed out. “If you don’t get that out and replace it, it won’t matter if you cover it with a new shingle.”

Usnavi only silently nodded, absorbing the information like when Kevin and Camila were teaching him about the fields. With Benny’s help, the roof was fixed in no time. The very next day, it rained again, and the inside of the house was drop-free. Usnavi wanted to chalk it up to luck that they had moved to a place where people were willing to help them, but if that was the case, the luck didn’t stop there.

The next day, while Usnavi was tending to the crops the way Kevin and Camila taught him, he was approached by two women, introducing themselves as Daniela and Carla. “Come with us,” Daniela said immediately after.

“W-What?”

“We’ll explain later, just c’mon!” Carla said, grabbing his hand and making to pull him along.

“Wait, wait!” Usnavi exclaimed, trying to pull away, “I can’t just leave, my cousin-”

“We’re going through the barrio,” Carla said, “we can drop off your kid with Nina before we go.”

Usnavi struggled for words, “But-”

“Look, just trust us,” Daniela said, hands on her hips. “Do you want more help with these fields or not?” She had a sly smile on her face, a look that clearly said she wouldn’t take no for an answer.

“Oh god, what kind of first impression are you making, here?”

Usnavi blinked at the new but somewhat familiar voice. A young woman walked towards them, with long black hair and confidence in her stride. It was the girl Usnavi met in the barrio…for exactly five seconds. And…she was just as beautiful as he remembered, maybe even more so. Usnavi was probably staring, because he didn’t register that he was still trying to pull away from Carla until she let go, sending him toppling to the ground. Usnavi hurried to his feet as the girl was staring at him as well; she most likely recognized him. How could she not?

“Um, I-uh,” Usnavi stammered, his heart pounding in his chest, “I-I think we’ve…met before?”

Luckily, the girl seemed to giggle slightly, “You could say that,” She said.

They stood in an awkward silence, completely forgetting that they had two onlookers until Usnavi finally broke it, “Uh, Usnavi,” He blurted out, holding out his hand. “My name’s Usnavi.”

“Vanessa.” The girl responded, taking his hand and Usnavi barely repressed a shudder from the spark that traveled up his arm from her touch. “Uh, how’s your kid?” Vanessa asked.

Usnavi blinked, almost missing her words, “You- oh!” He had forgotten that Vanessa had briefly talked to Sonny back then. “Sonny! Sonny, he-he’s fine.”

“Good, good,” Vanessa nodded, looking like she was trying to think of what to say next. “I hope I didn’t scare him.”

“No, he’s just shy, don’t worry,” Usnavi said. “He’s never really been around other people before…” He muttered that last part, but Vanessa probably caught it.

“Are they gonna let go of each other’s hands?” Carla whispered, not very subtly. Usnavi and Vanessa both glanced down, and sure enough, their hands were still grasped in a handshake.

They quickly pulled away and Daniela stepped forward, “Now that introductions are done,” She smiled sweetly, “Vanessa, why don’t you watch over this man’s little niño while we take him out?”

Usnavi and Vanessa both started. “Uh…” Usnavi’s eyes darted back towards the house where Sonny was playing in the yard, “I don’t know, uh…” He still wasn’t sure about other people watching Sonny yet. Sure, he got lucky with Nina but what if Sonny didn’t like Vanessa? They had already gotten off on the wrong foot.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea…” Vanessa said a bit nervously, “I’m not the best with kids-”

“What are you talking about? You’re great with kids!” Carla chimed in, getting a glare from Vanessa in return.

“If you really aren’t good with kids, then now’s the time to get better at it,” Daniela remarked. Daniela and Carla then pushed Usnavi and Vanessa back towards the house, where Sonny was running around in the driveway. Usnavi felt a touch of pride when Sonny didn’t turn tail at the sight of strangers; talking with Benny and playing with Nina had probably made him bolder.

“Hey,” Vanessa waved a bit shyly, “Remember me?”

Sonny smiled, “You’re the pretty lady from the store!” He said, pointing at her, making Vanessa blush slightly. Usnavi tried to keep a poker face; he didn’t tell Sonny she was pretty, right? Sonny came up with that on his own, right?!

“Aww, he’s so cute!” Carla cooed.

“Uh, Sonny, this Vanessa, Daniela, and Carla,” Usnavi introduced them. “They live near Benny and Nina.”

Sonny nodded in understanding, “ _Hola_ , I’m Sonny,” He said sweetly.

“He even speaks Spanish!” Carla squealed.

Daniela stepped forward, “We’re going to take your cousin on a little trip,” She said. “Vanessa here is going to watch you.”

“What kind of trip?” Sonny asked.

“It’s a surprise,” Carla said with a wink. Sonny brightened and nodded; he knew how important surprises were.

“Well, now that that’s settled,” Daniela turned on her heel, “Let’s go.” Daniela and Carla began leading Usnavi away, leaving a flustered Vanessa and a mildly confused Sonny behind.

The next thing he knew, Usnavi was whisked away to a greenhouse market, where tons of seeds and pre-grown vegetables were for sale. “You have a whole other field ready for planting; you should make the most of it,” Daniela said.

“We’ll show you the best things to plant!” Carla said with the energy of a child.

They wandered through the aisles, the girls pointing out which crops were the easiest to grow, which ones kept away pests, and so on. But it didn’t stop there; once they had bought a good number of pre-grown crops (they insisted on paying for him; Usnavi quickly found trying to change their minds was a lost cause) they took him back home and gave him tips on how to care for them.

When they were done, Usnavi thanked Vanessa for watching Sonny. As it turned out, Sonny had a lot of fun with her; Usnavi was glad to know that he now had another person he could entrust Sonny’s care to if he needed to go somewhere. He sighed as he watched her go from his doorway; he definitely wouldn’t mind seeing her again.

“Navi?” Sonny tugged his shirt hem, “Why are you staring?”

Usnavi jumped and shook his head, “I-I wasn’t staring!” He spluttered, making Sonny giggle.

* * *

The next day, Usnavi and Sonny were given another visit by the Rosario family, along with Benny and Abuela Claudia. Sonny was very happy to see Nina and Benny again, and Nina was quickly dragged outside to play. Usnavi offered some water, but luckily, Abuela had brought some tea bags up from her house for everyone. Soon, Usnavi, Kevin, Camila, Benny, and Abuela were sitting on the patio, nursing hot cups of tea. Usnavi savored the taste of the sweet liquid; he hadn’t had tea in a long time.

“By the way, we got another present for you,” Benny spoke up.

“What?” Usnavi looked at them in shock, “Guys, you don’t have to-”

“Oh, think nothing of it,” Camila waved her hand, “Besides, we have yet to give you a housewarming gift.”

“I think helping me with my fields was enough of a gift,” Usnavi said.

“In that case, consider this another part of it,” Kevin said, handing two paper bags over to Usnavi.

Usnavi opened them finding large bottles of some kind of strange dark brown liquid. “What is it?” He asked.

“S’called Wood Vinegar,” Benny answered. “It helps keep the bugs away. The last thing you want is bugs eating your stuff after you broke your back planting them.”

Usnavi smiled,  _“Gracias,”_  He looked at them gratefully, “You guys have all been so nice; you didn’t have to go through all this trouble.”

“It’s no trouble at all,” Abuela said kindly. “We’ve all had our struggles living here, but we’ve helped each other through it.”

Usnavi nodded in understanding, “Every day I feel like you guys are teaching me something new.”

“Well, you’re definitely a trooper for putting up with us,” Benny said, nudging his shoulder, “Most city folk call it quits after just a week or two.”

Usnavi chuckled, “What kind of people did you get?”

“Old men who thought they were taking easy street,” Benny answered.

Camila shook her head, “They all talked big but they never even lasted a week.” She gestured to Usnavi, “You’re probably the one who’s lasted the longest.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Usnavi chuckled.

Abuela smiled at him, “Tell me; why did you decide to move here of all places?”

Usnavi hesitated and looked at his cup, “Well…I guess you could say the city just wasn’t working out for us,” He said. “It was just too cramped and, held a lot of bad memories.”

“Bad how?” Benny asked with a light frown.

Usnavi took a deep breath and avoided eye contact; he never thought bringing this subject up would make him feel so exposed. But before he knew it, he was speaking, as something inside him wanted to spill everything after keeping it bottled up for so long.

“My parents died in a car wreck when I was fifteen,” He said. “My Tía y Tío took me in; I lived with them for almost two years before Sonny came along.” He smiled briefly before it faded, “But…my Tío died in an accident the day after Sonny was born, and Tía…it was too much for her; they said she lost the will to live…after that it was just me and my cousin.”

Usnavi looked out, watching Sonny and Nina play together, “I promised my Tía that I’d take care of Sonny, and I couldn’t do that in a crowded city.”

Silence came afterward. Usnavi didn’t dare look up at the most likely sympathetic or pitiful expressions they were most likely wearing.

“Navi! Navi!” Usnavi never thought he’d be grateful for his little cousin bursting in on a conversation. Sonny ran up to him, clearly holding something in his hands, covered with streaks of dirt from digging around. “Look, look what I found!” He held up his hands where he held a small turtle that easily filled both his hands.

“Wow, that’s a new one,” Usnavi said happily, “Where’d you find it?”

“Under a tree!” Sonny said, still grinning from ear to ear. “He was so slow! I poked his head for a while but he didn’t like that so I decided to pick him up.”

Usnavi chuckled, “Well, why don’t you take him to the river? You can show Nina a little of the mountain too.”

“Okay!” Sonny nodded, and ran off back towards Nina.

“Don’t go too far!” Usnavi called.

“I won’t!”

“Are you sure he’ll do what you say?” Kevin asked as he watched them run off, Sonny dragging Nina by her hand.

“Yeah, Sonny’s pretty good about rules,” Usnavi said, also watching them go. “And if he’s gone too long, he always comes when I call.”

“Alabanza,” Abuela said, practically beaming as she watched Sonny vanish into the trees, “You and Sonny are very lucky to have each other.”

Usnavi couldn’t help but smile shyly at his cup, “Yeah…” He really was lucky to have him.

* * *

The day after, Usnavi was greeted by a young couple, introducing themselves as Alex and Eliza, along with their three young children. They lived some little ways away from the barrio, in the less-rural part of the town, having moved there about a year before Usnavi and Sonny arrived.

“We would’ve come introduce ourselves sooner, but we figured you wanted to be left alone while you got settled,” Eliza explained.

“But then we found out you had a kid and decided now was as good a time as any,” Alex said, earning a little nudge from his wife.

“Why’s that?” Usnavi asked.

“Well, young parents are pretty scarce around this part of the barrio,” Alex said. “I guess you could say we try to look out for each other since we’re in the same boat.”

“Is there anything you want to talk about?” Eliza asked. “Being a single parent can’t be easy, but we’ll do our best to help.”

Usnavi almost said no, but he quickly realized that he never really had anyone to talk about when it came to parenting, or in his case, pseudo-parenting. It felt good to talk to them and exchange stories and struggles that came from child rearing. And as Usnavi talked, he realized that he did have a problem. He explained to the young couple how he and Sonny had been getting along financially, and when he was done, both of them were shocked.

“So, you’ve just been burning through your savings this whole time?” Alex asked.

Usnavi nodded grimly, rubbing the back of his neck, “Yeah, I need to find a job, and soon.”

“That’s easier said than done, living all the way out here,” Alex said, shaking his head, “You’re gonna have to commute pretty far out or somehow make your own business in this neighborhood, but good luck with that latter one.”

“You also better send your son to preschool,” Eliza added, “or at least find someone who can look after him once you find work.”

Usnavi bit his lip at the mention of school; that hadn’t even crossed his mind thanks to Sonny’s secret. He pushed those thoughts aside; they would cross that bridge when they got to it. He continued talking to Alex and Eliza, unaware that his little boy was watching them through the bushes.

* * *

“Navi, what’s a preschool?”

Usnavi almost dropped the knife he was holding to chop the vegetables for dinner, “W-What?” He looked to see Sonny looking up at him.

“What’s a preschool?” Sonny repeated.

Usnavi pressed his lips together; did he overhear them?! “Well, uh, it’s a place where kids go to play and learn things,” He said carefully.

Sonny blinked at the explanation, “How come I can’t go to one?” He asked.

Usnavi tensed; he was afraid of this, “Uh, because-”

“I wanna go to one!” Sonny exclaimed. “Can I go?”

“No,” Usnavi answered without hesitation.

“But I wanna go!” Sonny protested.

“You can’t, Sonny-”

“Why can’t I go?! I wanna go!” Sonny whined, stomping his foot.

“Sonny-”

“I wanna go!” Sonny began running around on all fours, his ears poking out of his curls, “I wanna go I wanna go I wanna go I wanna go I wanna go I wanna go I wanna go I wanna goooooo!”

Usnavi sighed; he was in for a long evening.

Sonny’s tantrum continued all through dinner, with him switching back and forth between wolf and human. He ate quickly and then went back to screaming. “It’s not fair! How come all the other kids get to go and not me?!”

Usnavi took a deep breath, his patience growing thin, “Sonny-”

“I wanna go to preschool!” Sonny whined, getting off his chair, “I wanna I wanna I wannaaaaaa!” He lay on the ground and began to roll around, pounding the ground, “I wanna go to preschool, Navi! I wanna goooooo!”

Usnavi let out the breath he was holding and stood up, hitting the table hard with his palm to get his attention. “That’s enough, Sonny; you need to calm down,” He said firmly.

Sonny looked up at him from the floor, “But-”

“I told you, you can’t go, and that’s final!” Usnavi said, his voice raised. Sonny bit his lip as tears came to his eyes, but he said nothing. Usnavi bit back the guilt he felt as he gathered their dishes; he did want Sonny to go to school, but not now. He was still too young; he couldn’t risk Sonny going and turning into a wolf when he got upset or excited, not after they’ve been settling in so well.

Sonny stayed on the floor, facedown, making pitiful whining noises while Usnavi did the dishes, but as he was drying them he felt little arms wrap around his legs. “Please? Pleeeease can I go?” A small muffled voice whimpered. Usnavi looked down next to him to see Sonny pressing his face into his left leg. “I’ll be good, I promise; I won’t turn into a wolf. I’ll go to bed when you say, I’ll eat my green food, and I won’t cry.” He peeked up at Usnavi with big glassy eyes despite his last statement, “Please, Navi? Can I go to preschool? Please?”

Usnavi sighed, a gentle smile on his face, “Oh  _mijo_ …” Usnavi dried his hands and lifted Sonny into his arms. They moved to the living room, and Usnavi sat on the couch, placing Sonny on his lap. “I know you want to go to preschool,” Usnavi started, causing Sonny to look up at him with those big teary puppy eyes, “but you’re not ready.”

“I won’t turn into a wolf!” Sonny cried. “I promise, I won’t!”

“I know, but you still can’t fully control that,” Usnavi said gently. “You still change by accident, and you know what would happen if someone found out our secret.”

Sonny pouted, “I know…”

Usnavi sighed, “Alright, tell you what,” He moved Sonny a bit further from him so he could look him in the eye, “When you get a little older, and you can control turning into a wolf, I’ll let you go to school; does that sound fair?”

Sonny seemed to light up a bit, “So I can go when I get bigger?”

Usnavi chuckled, “If you can keep your ears from popping out, then yes.” He rubbed Sonny’s wolf ears that were peeking out of his hair and the boy yelped and hid them.

* * *

The next day, Nina, Benny, and Vanessa came over for a friendly visit. Usnavi really didn’t mind them dropping in every now and then; after spending so much time alone to raise Sonny, interacting with people his own age was always a welcome change.

They were sitting in the living room, talking over glasses of water and a bowl of chips, when Vanessa’s gaze was drawn towards the backyard, “What the…?” She muttered, catching Benny and Nina’s attention.

Usnavi followed their gaze and he just about choked on his water; a brown wolf pup was running around right in the backyard. “S-Son-” He stopped himself from saying his cousin’s name.

“I didn’t know you had a dog,” Vanessa remarked.

“Uh…” Usnavi’s mind went into panic mode, “Well, yeah, kinda…” Usnavi cringed as the wolf let out a little howl; he could feel sweat forming on his head as he prayed for Sonny to not give himself away.

Benny stared at Sonny, “Uh…that looks more like a wolf,” He said, his voice growing a bit uneasy.

Usnavi was gonna kill that kid. “Uh, I-I know it looks like a wolf, but-”

“Don’t be silly, it’s not a wolf,” Nina spoke up. “That breed of wolf is extinct; it’s probably just a dog that looks like it.”

“Y-Yeah, that’s it!” Usnavi said immediately after.

“Where’d it go?” Vanessa asked, still looking out the door. Everyone looked and sure enough, the wolf had vanished.

A second later, the front door opened and little feet were heard running down the hallway, “Hi Nina, hi Vanessa, hi Benny!” Sonny greeted loudly, running into the living room.

Nina smiled warmly, “Hi,  _cariño_.”

“Hey, kiddo!” Benny greeted.

“Playing in the dirt?” Vanessa asked, noting Sonny’s filthy bare feet.

“Just running around.” Sonny said with a shrug. Usnavi’s eyes widened as Sonny sent him a wink; that troublesome little…! He did this on purpose!

“Your dog’s probably looking for you,” Benny said, gesturing to the outside. Sonny giggled and ran back outside and out of sight. A few seconds later, Sonny appeared as a wolf, looking behind him and acting like he was being chased by an unseen child.

“He really is adorable,” Nina sighed.

Usnavi chuckled uneasily as Sonny ran out of sight once more, “Yeah, that’s my boy,” He said in a strained voice, “Adorable.”

“You okay, dude?” Benny asked. “You look kinda pale.”

Usnavi snapped back to reality, “Oh, I’m fine,” He said, managing to laugh his reaction off. He then proceeded to explain that the dog was a wild one that tended to come down from the mountain. Luckily, they seemed to buy the story, so Usnavi didn’t punish Sonny.

“Just warn me the next time you do something like that, understand?” Usnavi said desperately, “You almost gave me a heart attack.”

“Okay,” Sonny said, though Usnavi could see a smug smile when he turned around. It wasn’t hard to figure out that this was to get Usnavi back for not letting Sonny go to preschool.

Usnavi shook his head; something told him that his little cousin was starting to take after Tía Jane. Guess genes involving mischief were dominant in their family. Much to Usnavi’s relief, Sonny didn’t transform the next time someone came over; at least he seemed to have Tío Carlos’ knack for keeping his transformations secret.

* * *

A few days later, Usnavi was getting lunch ready. The potatoes were still growing successfully, along with the other vegetables he had planted. If he kept this pace up, they would be eating homemade meals from their own produce by week’s end. When the meal was almost ready, Usnavi headed to the sliding glass door, “Sonny!” He called out to the empty backyard. “C’mon inside, it’s almost lunchtime!”

A few moments later, a small figure made its way out of the trees, but Usnavi noticed that he was walking a lot slower than usual. “Sonny?” Usnavi fully stepped outside and his eyes widened; his baby cousin was beaten up! Sonny was covered in dirt and cuts; his eyes were teary but he had a frown on his face while he rubbed his arm where a bruise was forming.

“Oh my god!” Usnavi rushed over and knelt down in front of him, “ _Mijo,_  what happened?!” He held his face and looked him over, “ _Dios,_  are you alright? Are you bleeding anywhere?”

“No…” Sonny sniffed. “M’fine…”

Usnavi picked Sonny up and rushed him inside, “Hold on, _mijo_ ,” He said, placing Sonny on a chair in the kitchen, “We’ll get you fixed up.” He hurried upstairs to where they kept the first aid kit and grabbed it along with a washcloth. He traveled back downstairs where Sonny was still sitting patiently and Usnavi ran the washcloth under some lukewarm water before sitting across from Sonny in another chair, the first-aid kit sitting on the table.

Usnavi gently washed the dirt away from Sonny’s cuts on his arms and legs before pulling out a bottle of rubbing alcohol. He damped a paper towel with it, “Hold still,” He instructed.

Sonny yelped as Usnavi gently rubbed one of the cuts on his leg, “It stings!” He protested.

“I know,” Usnavi said, focusing on the injuries. “Just try not to move.” Sonny bit his lip and tried his hardest to keep still as Usnavi rubbed the alcohol on his cuts before spreading some cream over them, followed by a band-aid. All of Sonny’s limbs were eventually dotted with band-aids, and Usnavi checked under his shirt to see a number of scrapes and bruises.

“Sonny, what on earth did you do?” Usnavi asked in shock. Sonny looked away and didn’t answer; that wasn’t a good sign. Usnavi gently held Sonny’s chin to make him look at him, but Sonny resisted, “C’mon; I need to wash your face.” Sonny grudgingly obeyed but avoided Usnavi’s eyes as Usnavi washed his face clean of dirt and mud.

“Sonny, I want you to tell me the truth,” Usnavi said, rubbing the alcohol on the cut on his forehead, “You know how I feel about lying.” Sonny still didn’t respond, making Usnavi frown lightly, “Did you fall?” Sonny shook his head. “Did an animal attack you?” This time Sonny shrugged.

Usnavi’s frown became deeper as the answer came to him. “Sonny, did you get into a fight?” He asked slowly. Sonny bit his lip and looked away again after Usnavi placed a band-aid over the cut. Well, that answered that. Usnavi managed to keep his initial anger in check; out of every rule Sonny could’ve broken, it was this?

“What happened Sonny?” Usnavi asked seriously, “What did you fight with?”

Sonny glanced at him, “A boar…”

Usnavi started, “A boar?!”

“He was being a jerk…” Sonny grumbled, looking away again. “He deserved it.”

Usnavi pressed his lips together and stayed silent for a good minute. “I’m disappointed in you, Sonny,” He eventually said firmly. “You know better than to go around picking fights like that.”

“But he started it!” Sonny cried.

"I don’t care who started it, you shouldn’t fight at all, period!” Usnavi retorted. “When I’m done fixing you up I want you to go to your room and think about what you did.”

Sonny’s eyes widened. “But-”

“No buts,” Usnavi cut him off, putting the last band-aid on his cheek. “Now, go to your room.”

Sonny got up, “That’s not fair!” He yelled, tears coming to his eyes.

Usnavi kept a stern look on his face and pointed to the hallway, “Room. Now.” Sonny crossed his arms and didn’t move, pouting at the floor.

“Don’t make me count to three!” Usnavi threatened. Sonny didn’t move. “One…”

Sonny stomped his foot with a growl and ran out of the kitchen, followed by footsteps up the stairs and the slamming of a bedroom door. Usnavi sighed and ran a hand through his hair under his hat; this was what being a dad was like. He wondered if his Papí ever felt the same way when Usnavi was Sonny’s age.

Usnavi let Sonny simmer for an hour before going up to check on him. He knocked on the door before slowly opening it,  _“Mijo?”_  Sonny was lying on his side, facing away from the door; he let out a grunt and didn’t move. Usnavi entered the room and sat on the side of Sonny’s bed, “Do your cuts feels better?” He asked, rubbing Sonny’s shoulder. Sonny silently nodded, still not facing him.

“Did you think about what you did?” Usnavi kept going. Sonny nodded again. “So?” Usnavi prompted. “Do you have something to say?”

Sonny didn’t move, but after a good pause, he spoke, “No…” Usnavi’s eyes narrowed. “That boar deserved it…if he wasn’t so big I would’ve beat him up more…”

“Sonny!” Usnavi exclaimed, finally making the boy look at him slightly. “Don’t ever talk like that! Fighting is bad!”

“I don’t care!” Sonny responded, turning away again.

Usnavi opened his mouth but shut it, keeping his anger down, “Sonny, look at me,” He said firmly. Sonny didn’t move. “Sonny,  _now_.” Usnavi repeated slowly and dangerously. The boy slowly sat up and complied, glaring up at him. “I told you clearly that you weren’t allowed to fight with the other animals,” Usnavi said firmly. “but you disobeyed me, and look what happened.” He gestured to Sonny’s band-aids.

“It didn’t hurt…” Sonny muttered.

“Sonny, fighting something like a boar is dangerous; you’re lucky he only gave you cuts!” Usnavi kept going. “What would you have done if you ran into a bear?”

“If he was being a jerk, I’d beat him up too!” Sonny retorted.

“You could’ve gotten seriously hurt!” Usnavi snapped, making Sonny flinch. Okay, that was a bit harsh. He took a deep breath, calming himself. “Sonny, you promised me that you would be nice to the other animals.” Usnavi said, a bit of desperation leaking out. “For your Mamá and Papí, remember?”

Guilt flashed across Sonny’s face, “I know, but-”

“I don’t want you going out there if it means you’ll get yourself hurt,”

“But I-”

“that boar probably would’ve left you alone if you hadn’t picked a fight in the first place.”

“But Navi!” Sonny protested, “He was trying to mess up our food!”

Usnavi blinked, his mind coming to a halt, “…What?”

“That dumb boar was in our garden and he was digging up our food!” Sonny repeated. “I told him that you worked really hard to make that food and that it wasn’t his so he should go away, but he didn’t! So, I tried barking at him, but then he tried to bite me, so I beat him up!” Sonny wrung his hands and looked away, his eyes glassing over, “He started it…I was just trying to save our food…”

Usnavi stared at Sonny, unsure of what to say. Sonny had picked a fight, risked his safety with a wild boar to protect their garden. He even tried to take a peaceful approach before resorting to violence. Sonny did the only thing he could to keep all of Usnavi’s work on those fields from being undone.  _‘Sonny did it for you…’_

Usnavi silently picked Sonny up and brought him into a hug. Sonny blinked in surprise, but hugged him back.  _“Gracias, mijo.”_  Usnavi said softly.

Sonny smiled,  _“De nada.”_  He nuzzled Usnavi, “I’m sorry for fighting.”

“I’m sorry too,” Usnavi sighed, “for not listening to you.” Usnavi pulled away, sitting Sonny on his lap, “But I still don’t want you fighting,” He said. “Unless you have no choice, understand?”

Sonny nodded, “I promise.”

“Atta boy.”

* * *

The next day, Usnavi took Sonny on a little trip outside their home. Sonny had already shown him all the cool things in their backyard, but what they hadn’t seen, was the mountain path. Sonny was ecstatic as they hiked up the path, leading the way with a stick in hand to bat away the plants and branches in their way.

“Sonny, wait for me!” Usnavi called as he walked behind the energetic boy.

“Hurry up, slowpoke!” Sonny responded, skipping further up the path. Usnavi wasn’t sure why he didn’t think of this before, but Sonny needed to learn how to defend himself as both a wolf and a human. Usnavi had no idea if just taking him up a mountain path and telling him information from books would be enough, but they had to start somewhere. And if they were lucky, if Sonny got into another fight, he wouldn’t be as hurt as before.

“Why’re we out here, Navi?” Sonny asked, once they stopped for a break.

“I’m going to try to teach you more about being a wolf,” Usnavi answered.

Sonny tilted his head, “But I know how to be a wolf.” He transformed. “See?”

Usnavi chuckled, pulling a book on wolves out of his backpack, “I know, but you don’t know how to hunt,” He said, opening to a specific page, “Wolves can do all sorts of things that humans can’t.”

“Like what?” Sonny asked, now intrigued.

Usnavi knelt down so Sonny could see the pages, “Well, wolves can smell things from really far away, they can run really fast, and they can track animals.”

“What’s track mean?” Sonny asked.

“It means that if you listen really carefully and smell the animal, you can tell where they are without seeing them, like Hide-and-Seek,” Usnavi answered. “Why don’t you try? Do you smell anything?”

Sonny closed his eyes and sniffed the air; he stayed silent for a few moments until his ears twitched and he slowly began to move. Usnavi watched as Sonny lowered his head to the ground and began to sniff, “Well? What do you smell?” He asked.

“I don’t know,” Sonny answered. He lifted his head and looked at Usnavi with an excited smile, “How did I do that?”

“It’s part of who you are Sonny,” Usnavi said. “It’s in your blood, like your Papí. But you have to practice.”

“How can I practice?” Sonny asked, his tail wagging happily at the prospect of being like his father.

“Well, according to this, wolf pups like you start practicing when they’re really young on small creatures, like mice and rats,” Usnavi said. “Once they learn how to hunt, they start gravitating into wolf packs.”

“What’s a pack?” Sonny asked.

“It’s a group that sticks together and helps each other if something goes wrong,” Usnavi answered. “Packs are like families.”

Sonny smiled, “Then we’re a pack!” He exclaimed.

Usnavi smiled at the term; it certainly sounded very affectionate when applied to them, “Yeah, we are.”

A little while later, Sonny was running through the trees, going wherever his instincts led him. Usnavi kept up as best he could while looking around to see if there were any edible plants on the mountain; they needed to keep themselves sustained while they waited for their food to grow. Sonny felt like he had stumbled into a completely different world as he let his sense of smell and hearing lead him to places he had never seen before. He dug up roots and bugs, he chased mice, and he even challenged a snake and won! The snake got away, but he still caught it, so he considered that a victory.

Sonny and Usnavi kept traveling up the mountain until they reached a grassy clearing. “Neat, huh?” Usnavi asked.

“Yeah!” Sonny agreed, quickly running off and vanishing into the tall grass.

“Don’t go too far!” Usnavi called.

“Okay!” Sonny responded.

Usnavi stood under the single tree that was growing in the middle of the clearing and watched the grass rustle while Sonny ran free. He couldn’t help but feel a bit melancholic as he was reminded of Tío Carlos. He had taken him to a clearing similar to this when he had told Usnavi his secret. He hoped that this is what his uncle would’ve wanted; for Sonny to be able to have a place to learn about his wolf side. Sonny deserved to have the ability to choose what he wanted to be…Usnavi just wished Tío Carlos was still around to teach Sonny properly. Books could only give so much information after all.

“Hey, Navi! Look what I found!” Usnavi looked up to see Sonny up on two legs but with a wolf’s head. He was holding a big goose by the neck. “This bird was making a bunch of noise so I caught it!”

“Good job,  _mijo!”_  Usnavi responded, smiling. At least Sonny was doing just fine so far; he already had the makings of sharp reflexes, probably from his father. Hopefully, in the future, Usnavi would still be able to teach him everything he needed.

* * *

A few days later, Usnavi and Sonny went out to the fields. The potatoes were tall, strong and ready to harvest…that is if they hadn’t died underground. Usnavi used a metal rake to loosen the soil around the potatoes and Sonny watched anxiously. Usnavi took a deep breath as he grasped the green plant, mentally crossing his fingers,  _‘Please have worked…’_  He slowly pulled the plant up, and a huge bushel of potatoes came with it.

“Wooow!” Sonny exclaimed, his eyes growing huge. Usnavi almost felt like crying; they did it! They had food! “There are so many!” Sonny said, bouncing on his heels.

“There sure are,” Usnavi agreed, looking out over their field. If this many came from one, then they were set if the rest turned out good!

“Can I pull some out, Navi? Can I?” Sonny asked, jumping and tugging on Usnavi’s shirt hem.

Usnavi chuckled, his eyes stinging, “Sure; let me show you how.”

They spent the rest of the morning harvesting their potatoes. Once they pulled them all out, they put all the bushels in a pile, and started disconnecting them and cleaning them, putting them in large buckets. By the time they were done, they had filled almost ten buckets full. They had so many that Usnavi wasn’t sure if they needed them all; it was the first time that they had more food than they knew what to do with.

“We have so much food, Navi!” Sonny exclaimed.

“I know, maybe a little too much,” Usnavi said, when an idea came to mind, “Maybe we could share with the others.”

“Yeah!”

So, that’s just what they did. They were going to have to take multiple trips since they could only bring down one or two buckets at a time with their bike, but they nothing else to do that day, so it hardly mattered.

“ _Hola_ , Mrs. Rosario!” Sonny waved as they walked towards the Rosario house where Camila was gardening out front. Sonny ran ahead of Usnavi, who was carrying the bag of potatoes, and ran right up to her.

“ _Hola,_  Sonny,” Camila returned with a smile, “You’re certainly energetic today.”

“Is that Sonny I hear?” The door opened to reveal Nina.

“Hi Nina!” Sonny chirped. “Navi and I got a present for you!”

“A present?” Nina asked.

“Yeah, for everybody!” Sonny said excitedly, spreading his arms.

Usnavi chuckled as he finally caught up with his cousin, “This is thanks for helping us with our fields,” He said, holding out the large bag. “Thanks to you we had a really good harvest.”

Nina glanced inside and her eyes widened, “These are all for us?”

Camila took one of the potatoes out, “These look great!” She said with a smile, “All your hard work paid off.”

“Thanks to you,” Usnavi repeated. “Really, I don’t know where we’d be if you guys hadn’t taken the time to teach me.”

“Well, like they say; teach a man to fish and he’ll eat for life,” Nina said shyly.

“They aren’t fish, they’re potatoes,” Sonny said.

Nina giggled, “I know, Sonny.”

“ _Mija,_  would you get your father?” Camila said to Nina.

The girl nodded and disappeared inside, emerging a few moments later with Kevin. He thanked them for the potatoes before he disappeared out to the backyard and came back with a basket full of radishes and celery, “These are for you.”

Usnavi blinked as the heavy basket was placed in his arms, “A-Are you sure?”

“Whoa!” Sonny stood on his tiptoes to peek inside, “Did you grow these?”

“That we did.” Kevin nodded. “We were meaning to bring these up to you later, and now, well you just saved us a trip.” Camila held up her hand before Usnavi could protest, “None of that; besides, you gave us potatoes so consider this our payment for it.”

Usnavi smiled, deciding against arguing,  _“Muchas gracias.”_

“Yeah,  _gracias!”_  Sonny chirped.

* * *

Benny was their next stop. “Dude, really?” Benny asked in amazement as he took the large bag.

“We have more than we need; it’s fine,” Usnavi said.

“Aw man, thanks a lot!” Benny said.

Usnavi smiled, “Consider it payment for helping me with my roof.”

“Oh, that reminds me!” Benny disappeared back inside for a moment and came back out carrying three large bags, “These are for you!”

“Wait, wha-” Usnavi couldn’t finish as Benny plopped the bags into his arms.

Usnavi staggered slightly under their weight, Benny helping to balance him, “Careful, they’re heavy,” He warned.

“What are they?” Sonny asked curiously.

“White rice.” Benny answered. “I got a surplus of that stuff myself; guess that boar doesn’t like it.”

Sonny looked thoughtful, “He only really likes vegetables,” He remarked.

“Yeah, well that doesn’t surprise me,” Benny said. “Anyway, I’ve been passing these around the barrio as well, and those are for you.”

“Benny, you don’t have to do this,” Usnavi said; first the Rosario’s and now Benny? This was getting overwhelming!

“Don’t worry, it’s a thing we do around here,” Benny said, picking up one of the potatoes from the bag he was given, “And judging by this, you’re already with the program; you’re gonna fit in just fine down here.”

Benny gave them a lift back to their place so they could get the rice home (there was no way Usnavi could carry it on his bike) and he even helped get the rest of the potatoes they were going to give out.

Once they had finished, Daniela, Carla and Vanessa paid them a visit bearing their own share of crops. “No, really, you don’t have to do this,” Usnavi said for what felt like the twentieth time that day.

“Of course, we do!” Carla said happily.

“And you need variety,” Daniela added, “You can’t just live off potatoes until the rest of your food grows.”

“Looks like you’re the only one who’s crops didn’t get touched,” Vanessa commented. “That damn boar almost always screws our stuff over, so why didn’t it hit you?”

Usnavi shrugged, “Just lucky, I guess.”

Daniela waved her hand, “Don’t be shy; spill. I want to know your secret.”

Usnavi spotted Sonny peeking from behind the wall in his peripheral vision and a smile grew on his face. “Maybe…it got chased away by another animal.” Usnavi offered, sending Sonny a wink. Turns out having a wolf in the family could be a good thing after all.

* * *

The next day, Carla showed up again with multiple cartons of eggs. “Oh my- Thank you so much!” Usnavi said gratefully.

“It’s the least we could do for all those potatoes you gave us,” Carla responded.

“Sonny’s gonna be so happy,” Usnavi said, bringing the cartons over to the fridge, “We haven’t had eggs in a while.”

“Well, in that case, there’s plenty more where that came from!” Carla said cheerily, as Usnavi began putting the eggs away in their little refridgerator. It was really gonna be a tight fit from all the food they had been growing and receiving from the barrio. “Aw, that’s such a cute little fridge!” Carla remarked.

Usnavi blinked and looked at her in confusion, “Cute?”

* * *

“Navi!” Sonny ran up to Usnavi as he was making lunch a few hours later, “Navi, Benny and Mr. Rosario are here and they’re driving a big truck!”

Usnavi frowned, “Really?” What would they be doing here? Usnavi followed Sonny outside and sure enough, a big pick-up truck was sitting in his driveway, Benny and Kevin emerging.

“Hey, bud!” Benny greeted.

“Hey,” Usnavi responded, “What’s all this?”

“Camila told me that a little bird said you might find this useful.” Kevin said. Usnavi followed them to the back of the truck where a full-sized refrigerator was lying.

“This old thing has been gathering dust for a while,” Benny said. “Now it’s finally gonna get a good home.”

Usnavi’s eyes widened, “Wait, no, you don’t mean-”

“C’mon Benny, let’s get it out of here,” Kevin said.

“You got it, boss.” The two men slid the fridge out of the back of the trunk and began to carry it towards the house.

Usnavi held out his hands, “No, please, this is way too much!” He protested.

“Look at it this way,” Kevin grunted as they carried the fridge towards the door, “If we don’t get rid of this thing, we’re both going to get it from Camila and Abuela.”

Usnavi blinked, “Abuela Claudia?” He asked, but probably too softly as Kevin and Benny didn’t respond. “Careful Sonny!” Usnavi called as his cousin was watching in amazement from the doorway. Sonny moved out of the way and Usnavi followed them in.

As Kevin and Benny installed it, Usnavi approached Benny, “Did you say that Abuela Claudia wanted me to have this?”

Benny nodded, “She won’t shut up about you,” He said. “She’s the one who told us all to look out for you and Sonny, said that you two deserve a helping hand so you can be at peace here.”

Usnavi gaped in shock and Sonny seemed just as surprised; now it all made sense. That’s why everyone was bending over backwards to help them adjust to their life here. When they were done installing the fridge, Usnavi told them to thank Abuela and Camila for him.

“Oh, that reminds me,” Kevin said as they headed to the truck, “My wife and I are holding a little party this weekend; you and Sonny should come.”

“What kind of party?” He asked.

“Just a friendly little get-together,” Benny shrugged. “Mrs. Rosario throws them all the time.”

“You two should come,” Kevin repeated. “It will give you a chance to really meet the rest of our little barrio.”

“Plus, you’ll get to taste Mrs. Rosario’s cooking,” Benny chimed in. “She makes the best home-cooked meals you’ll ever have.”

Sonny seemed to really brighten at the mention of food, “Can we go, Navi?”

Usnavi smiled, “I don’t see why not,” He said. “We’ll be there.”

“This Saturday at seven,” Kevin said, starting the truck. “Don’t be late; Camila’s words, not mine.” Usnavi chuckled and waved as they left; life here was really starting to look up for them.

* * *

The weekend quickly arrived, marking the evening when the party was to take place. Usnavi and Sonny dressed in the best clothes they had, which meant a polo shirt for Usnavi and a plain turtleneck for Sonny. They left early so they could walk there, the early winter air nipping at them, and they arrived right on time.

“Hey guys!” Nina greeted them at the door.

Usnavi smiled, “Hey.”

“Hi Nina!” Sonny chirped.

“Well, don’t you both look handsome,” Nina remarked with a bright smile, “C’mon in.”

Usnavi and Sonny followed her inside and were hit with a gentle wave of warmth, melting away the chill from outside. Usnavi could see everyone they had met and more, all of them smiling and greeting him as he entered the room. He felt a lump come to his throat while Sonny ran over and climbed onto the couch where Benny was sitting, the older man ruffling Sonny’s curls. He hadn’t felt like this in so long…he couldn’t remember the last time he had been to a party.

Usnavi greeted everyone, the people he knew introducing him to ones he hadn’t met, until he finally found Abuela, sitting in a soft armchair. Sonny was on her lap, talking animatedly to her, a big smile on his face. Usnavi couldn’t remember seeing Sonny so happy.

“Oh, Usnavi!” Abuela greeted, cooing a strange but endearing noise, “It’s wonderful to see you again!”

“You too,” Usnavi responded, taking a seat on the couch next to the chair.

“Sonny has been telling me many things about you,” Abuela said, smiling at the boy on her lap.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t tell her our secret,” Sonny whispered loudly.

Usnavi chuckled uneasily, but Abuela didn’t seem to mind, “Everyone has their secrets, and yours is only yours to tell when you’re ready,” She said.

Usnavi nodded in relief, “Abuela, I-I want to thank you.” Abuela looked at him. “Benny told me that you were the one who told everyone to help us.”

Abuela waved her hand, “I didn’t tell them to do anything, I just gave them a little push,” She said, her voice holding an air of mischief.

“Yeah, but even so-”

" _Mijo,_  these people are family,” Abuela said, putting a gentle hand on Usnavi’s cheek, “Even if I said nothing, they would have helped you; you and Sonny are one of us now, and we always help each other.”

Usnavi nodded in understanding, “We’re all in this together.” Abuela nodded, her kind smile still on her face. Just then, the sound of a fork clinking a glass could be heard, making everyone quiet down.

Kevin stood up and raised his glass, “I just wanted to make a quick toast to everyone who could be here tonight, as well as to the newest members of our little barrio _,_ ” He gestured to Usnavi and Sonny. “We all hope that you can make yourselves a fine home here.”

Everyone verbally agreed and Usnavi felt his eyes sting, “You’ve already done more than that,” He said. “You’ve all made us feel more at home then we’ve felt in a long time…and I couldn’t be more grateful to all of you.” Usnavi covered his mouth as he felt a sob rising and Benny stood beside him and put a comforting arm around him.

Camila smiled and raised her glass next to Kevin’s, “To the barrio, and to our newest neighbors and friends, Usnavi and Sonny.” Everyone clinked their glasses and added their own verbal agreement of the toast, filling the room and surrounding Usnavi with a warmth he hadn’t felt in so long.

“Are we a pack, now?” Sonny spoke up, once the voices died down.

“What do you mean, Sonny?” Nina asked kindly.

“Navi said that packs help each other and stick together; they’re like families!” Sonny explained, smiling wide, “You guys helped us, and we helped you, so we’re a pack, right?”

Everyone, including Usnavi, gave the boy adoring looks and Abuela ran her hand through his curls, “Of course we are,  _mijo_.” She said. “Everyone in the barrio is family, and you and Usnavi are a part of it now.”

“You’ve definitely made us feel like we belong.” Usnavi agreed, wiping his eyes. And everyone agreed. They did belong.

The party ended and Usnavi and Sonny were given a ride home by Benny so they wouldn’t have to hike back through the cold. When they got back, Usnavi got a bath ready for Sonny and laid out his pajamas before telling Sonny to get ready for bed. Sonny obliged and Usnavi traveled to the living room.

“Things sure have changed…” Usnavi said softly, looking down at the family photo on his lap as he sat on the couch. “We moved here to get away from all the people in the city, and we’ve found a place where everyone looks out for us.” He smiled. “I almost forgot what it was like to have such a big family.”

Usnavi sighed, looking at the ceiling, “At first, I was afraid that coming out here wouldn’t work out…but now I know I made the right choice.” Usnavi put the photo back on the side table, gazing at it fondly.

“Navi! Navi!” Sonny ran into the living room, jumping up and down in his pajamas, “It’s snowing!”

Usnavi got up and Sonny took his hand, dragging him to the window. Sure enough, little snowflakes were falling gently from the sky. “You think we’ll get a lot of snow tomorrow?” Usnavi asked.

“I hope so!” Sonny said, bouncing on his heels.

* * *

The next morning, Usnavi and Sonny woke up to find their windows completely fogged over. They traveled downstairs to the back door and opened it to find a giant winter wonderland before them.

“Look at all the snow, Navi!” Sonny almost yelled from pure excitement.

“I know!” Usnavi agreed. Before he could stop him, Sonny threw himself out the door and landed face-first in the deep snow, pajamas and all. Sonny rolled over and laughed, squirming in the freezing powder, the cold giving him energy and waking him up.

Usnavi couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight; maybe being part wolf made Sonny better with the cold. Usnavi looked up at the clear blue sky and took a deep breath through his nose; he had never felt fresh, crisp air like this in the city. It was so relaxing and yet invigorating. Usnavi looked down at Sonny, and before he realized it, he lunged out of the door. Sonny yelped as Usnavi nearly landed on him and pulled him close before turning onto his back and holding Sonny on his chest. Both cousins burst into laughter as snowflakes fell on their faces. It was their first snow day, and they were going to make the most of it.

Sonny didn’t want to wait to change or even put on a jacket; he just put on his green scarf. Usnavi only had time to slip on his boots and jacket before he was running after Sonny through the woods. Sonny ran and ran and leapt down one of the hills, somersaulting to keep moving. The next second, he was a little brown wolf with a green scarf around his neck and his pajamas flying off into the snow. Usnavi scooped them up as he ran, barely able to keep up with the little wolf.

The whole forest seemed like a different world as trees flew past them until they fell away, revealing a huge snowy hill. Sonny began running down it, sliding a bit on the snow every once in a while, and Usnavi began to follow. The hill helped Usnavi catch up and run alongside Sonny until they both tripped and tumbled through the snow.

Once they rolled to a stop, Sonny stood up and raised his head, howling towards the sky. Usnavi stood up and joined him, both of them howling at the open air until they both fell down. They lay in the snow, their heads close and their bodies spread as they devolved into breathless laughter from the rush of the cold run while their howls still echoed through the mountains.

Usnavi breathed deeply through his nose as he stared at the cloudless sky; never in his life did he imagine finding himself here. He was living in the mountains, raising a wolf child who was also his cousin, and lying in the snow after a fun chase through the forest. It wasn’t the life he had expected, nor the one he planned for…but it was worth it. He had a home and a family; that was all he could ever want.

In that moment, everything was just perfect.

* * *

Usnavi and Sonny played for about an hour before Usnavi decided it was time to head home. Sonny ran ahead, still as a wolf, with Usnavi following at his own pace. Sonny cantered through the trees, following their footprints along the small river that cut through the mountain, when his ears twitched. Sonny stopped and looked just in time to see a decent sized bird sitting on a rock in the river. It was mostly black with white stripes and a feathered crest on its head.

Sonny felt his pulse race as the bird sat absently without a care in the world. Sonny crept closer, his paws making no noise in the snow; the bird had no idea he was even there. Sonny crept closer and closer until he was within reach and pounced. The bird could only let out a squawk when Sonny landed perfectly on the rock, holding the bird’s neck tightly in his mouth. Sonny felt more elated than ever; he had never caught a bird this small before! He couldn’t wait to show Usnavi!

Sonny turned around and got ready to leap back to the shore…but his back foot stepped on his scarf. Sonny yelped as his scarf stopped him mid-jump, causing him to fall headfirst into the freezing water with a splash.

* * *

Usnavi flinched and gasped, freezing in his tracks. He just felt like something had punched him in the gut. Something was wrong.

“Sonny?” Usnavi called, starting to walk quickly, “Sonny, where are you?” There was no response. Sonny always answered when he called! “Sonny?!” Usnavi began to run, “Sonny,  _mijo,_  where are you?!”

Usnavi ran through the trees as fast as he could when he came to the river. “Sonny! Sonny!” He called, glancing around. “ _Mijo_ , answer me!” There was no answer, until…

“Navi!” Usnavi flinched at the panicked cry. “Navi, help me!” Usnavi turned towards the creek where he saw a head of curly hair pop out of the water. Sonny had turned back into a boy, flailing madly to keep afloat as the rough current carried him downstream. “Navi! Nav-” Sonny sunk back underwater.

“Sonny!” Usnavi ran along the creek and jumped down to the shore as Sonny reemerged again, coughing and gasping for air. “Sonny, hold on, I’m coming!” Usnavi yelled.

“Navi!” Sonny cried. “Navi, hel-” Sonny’s head hit a rock with a loud thump and he vanished beneath the water.

Usnavi felt his heart stop.

“SONNY!” He threw off his jacket and dove into the freezing water. The forest was silent. Nothing moved, except for the snow gently falling. The silence was so thick it was as if the whole world was holding its breath. It seemed to last an eternity until it was finally shattered by a splash of water from the river.

Usnavi burst out of the water, taking a deep breath, Sonny in his grasp. Sonny’s head lolled against his shoulder and he lunged for the shore, throwing his torso and Sonny’s onto the snowy ground. Usnavi crawled out of the water, his soaked clothes clinging to him, and the cold air nipping his skin. Usnavi stayed on all fours, coughing and catching his breath when his eyes fell on Sonny’s pale form beside him, his now sopping wet scarf still around his neck.

“Sonny…oh god, Sonny!” Usnavi threw the scarf off, grabbed Sonny, and lifted him into his arms; he grabbed his discarded jacket and wrapped Sonny in it, “Sonny? Sonny, can you hear me?!” Usnavi tapped Sonny’s cheek and pressed him close to his chest to squeeze out any warmth. But Sonny didn’t move; he wasn’t even shivering.

“Sonny!” Usnavi cried, his eyes heating up, “Sonny,  _mijo,_  open your eyes!” He shook the younger boy gently, hoping to rouse him, “Sonny, please, wake up!” Usnavi pleaded, “Wake up!” Sonny didn’t move, his eyes closed and his jaw slack.

No…nononononono this wasn’t happening! This couldn’t be happening! “No…no!” Usnavi’s voice cracked as tears began to leak out, “Don’t do this to me! Don’t you dare do this to me!” He pressed Sonny’s face into his chest, clinging to him with all his might, “Don’t you dare take him! Not my little boy! Not him!” Usnavi’s fingers buried themselves in Sonny’s damp curls as he pulled away to look for any sign of life, “Wake up, Sonny! Wake up!”

Tears dripped down onto Sonny’s pale face, but he didn’t move. “No…” Usnavi whimpered. “No…! Not him…! Not…not my baby…!” He sobbed, hugging his baby cousin tightly. “Please, Sonny…wake up…”

“…Navi…” A tiny arm lifted up to weakly grip his sleeve, “…you’re squishing me…”

Usnavi’s eyes shot open and he pulled away, “Sonny?!”

The younger boy looked up at him with big brown eyes, and a small smile on his face, “I saw a bird, Navi…a really big one…” He whispered, looking at the river. “It was black and white and really pretty…” He glanced at the river, “I snuck up on it and it didn’t see me ‘cause I was a wolf and I caught it. It was so easy, I…”

Sonny blinked as he looked at Usnavi. His older cousin’s face was still frozen in shock, his eyes full of tears. “Navi? Why are you crying?” Sonny asked. He glanced around, as if he was just realizing where he was, “Why are we all wet?”

Usnavi choked on a sob, “Oh, Sonny!” He pulled the boy to his chest, pressing him close as if the universe would rip him away.

* * *

Usnavi carried Sonny back home, still wrapped in his jacket. Usnavi didn’t say a word the entire way back, but he kept squeezing Sonny’s hand to make sure he was still there. When they got home, Usnavi immediately started a bath for Sonny; the boy was shivering by the time they arrived, easing the elder’s nerves. Sonny just about curled up in the lukewarm water, Usnavi gently pouring water over him to keep him warm.

The bath didn’t last long so Sonny wouldn’t get overheated, and Usnavi dressed him in the warmest clothes Sonny had. He wrapped him in a thick blanket and set him on the couch before washing and changing out of his own wet clothes. When he got back to the living room, Sonny was still shivering in his blanket, but the color had returned to his cheeks.

Usnavi swallowed keeping tears back and knelt in front of Sonny, “Hey, how about I make us some hot chocolate and you choose a book for us to read?” He offered, feeling his forehead for any sign of a fever. “You can pick more than one, if you want.”

Sonny lit up, “Okay!” He scampered to his room, the blanket trailing behind him.

Usnavi went to the kitchen and started boiling the water; as he got out the chocolate sauce and milk, he felt another lump come to his throat. He placed the ingredients on the counter before leaning heavily on it and covering his mouth to stifle a sob; he had never felt so scared in his life. If he hadn’t been as close as he was, or if he was a second too late…Sonny would’ve been gone. He would’ve lost his little boy…

After losing his parents and his aunt and uncle, losing Sonny too…Usnavi wasn’t sure what he would’ve done! He looked up as he spied Sonny making his way back to the couch, a number of books in his arms, and the blanket still around his shoulders.

Usnavi wiped his eyes, and turned his attention back to making the hot chocolate; Sonny was still here. He wasn’t gone. Usnavi wasn’t going to lose him, ever. Sonny was going to be safe, no matter what. Usnavi finished the hot chocolate, filling two mugs and brought them in.

They spent the rest of the day, curled up together on the couch, buried in blankets and reading picture books. The entire time, Usnavi kept an arm around Sonny, holding him as close as possible.

* * *

Winter came and went, melting away into spring, which quickly became summer. When the weather got warm enough, Usnavi took the opportunity to teach Sonny how to swim in the river. That winter day had been seared into his memory forever, and he wasn’t going to let it happen again. Sonny took to swimming easily, as both a wolf and a human; soon enough, the boy made a point of jumping into the cool river if he got too hot.

Usnavi told him over and over again to ask him before swimming, so he could keep an eye on him. “You may know how to swim, but you never know what could happen; you could hit your head or swim too far down the river and need my help.” Sonny did as he was told most of the time, but Usnavi still felt a little fear rise in him every time Sonny came back from chasing animals soaking wet.

The summer slowly began to come to an end, and Usnavi realized that school was starting soon. As he cooked dinner, he gazed at Sonny who was reading one of his picture books at the table. He had been reading so much that Usnavi had to keep checking out different books for him to read from the library. Sonny was six now; he had grown so much from the hyperactive little baby who turned into a wolf at the drop of a hat whenever he felt like it.

In fact, Sonny seemed to be getting better at controlling his transformations. He really only turned into a wolf when he went out to run in the woods; whenever he was in the house, he stayed a human boy. When Usnavi took him out of the house and into town on those rare occasions, Sonny’s ears didn’t peek out once; he kept his hood down all day, but nothing happened. They hadn’t had any close calls in so long that Usnavi hadn’t realized.

But he  _had_  been starting to realize how lonely Sonny had been getting. Sure, he and Usnavi played together, and sometimes he played with Nina, Vanessa, or Benny, but with Usnavi having to tend the fields and do housework, their windows for playtime had gradually grown smaller, leaving Sonny to either run through the woods or sit alone in their empty house hoping that Vanessa, Nina, or Benny would come visit. And Usnavi could see the small frown on his boy’s face when Sonny thought he wasn’t looking.

Usnavi sighed and leaned on the counter; maybe it was finally time. Maybe Sonny was finally ready. So, after dinner, Usnavi finally brought it up, “Sonny, I wanna talk to you about something.”

Sonny looked up from his book on the couch, “What?”

Usnavi took a deep breath, “Well, do you remember that deal we made a while back, about letting you go to school when you got bigger?” Sonny’s eyes grew wide and he nodded.

“School is gonna start soon,” Usnavi said, prepping himself for the whirlwind of excitement that was in for, “And you’ve been really good about not turning into a wolf around other people, soooooo…” Sonny leaned forward, a huge smile on his face.

Usnavi smiled and sighed, “You can go to school.”

The next thing Usnavi knew, something crashed into him and he was looking at the ceiling, a mop of curls clinging to his middle, “Thank you, Navi! Thank you thank you thank you thank you!”

Usnavi smiled and ruffled his hair, feeling even more pride when Sonny didn’t turn into a wolf from excitement. Maybe Sonny really was ready.

* * *

Over the next few days, Usnavi got Sonny signed up for school and took him out to buy school supplies. Thankfully, first grade didn’t require too much. The only things Sonny really needed was a backpack, a lunchbox, and a new outfit. Sonny picked a bright yellow, red, and orange backpack, which Sonny wore the rest of the day after they bought it. They found the perfect lunchbox for him as well. It was dark blue and had a big wolf on the front; Sonny was ecstatic when they bought it.

Usnavi helped pick out his new clothes, eventually settling on a light blue button-down shirt, and a pair of brown pants. They didn’t need to buy new shoes because Sonny had recently received a new pair for his birthday; white sneakers that lit up when he walked. Sonny loved them to death; so much so that he only really wore them inside so he wouldn’t get them dirty. Usnavi couldn’t count how many times he found the scamp running through the dark hallways of their house past midnight just to see them light up in the dark. Sonny decided that going to school was special, so he would wear them to school the next day.

As they headed home, Usnavi could barely make Sonny sit still; the boy’s excitement was almost radioactive. As they ate dinner, Usnavi explained to Sonny how the day would work tomorrow, with the orientation and all. Sonny seemed to understand, but there was one point in particular that Usnavi told him over and over all throughout the day.

“Remember, you can go to school on one condition,” Usnavi reminded him yet again as he and Sonny sat on Sonny’s bed at bedtime. “No matter what happens-”

“I won’t turn into a wolf!” Sonny finished happily. “I really won’t Navi, I’ll be good!”

Usnavi smiled, “You promise?”

“Yeah! I promise, I promise!” Sonny exclaimed, hugging his new backpack to his chest, now full of a paper, pencils, markers, and a new folder.

Usnavi chuckled, “Okay, but just in case, I have a little chant that might help you.”

Sonny perked up, “Really?”

Usnavi nodded, “Just say it quietly to yourself if you ever feel like changing.” He pointed to his own chest, “Like this: I’m gonna be a little boy, all the way home.” He touched his chest in beat to the words.

Sonny slowly nodded and imitated Usnavi, “I gonna be a…” He trailed off.

“Little boy, all the way home,” Usnavi finished.

“I’m gonna be a little boy, all the way home,” Sonny recited before giggling. “I’m gonna be a little boy, all the way home!”

“That’s it!” Usnavi laughed, as Sonny bounced on his bed happily. “Alright, you little hurricane, get some sleep,” Usnavi said, pushing him down and putting his backpack on the ground, “You need rest for tomorrow.”

Sonny nodded eagerly, “I’m gonna be a little boy, all the way home!” He said, bouncing to the beat on his back.

 _“Buenos noches,”_  Usnavi said, kissing his forehead.

 _“Buenos noches,”_  Sonny responded. As Usnavi left the room, he could still hear him giggling to himself, repeating the chant under his breath.

The next morning, Sonny was the first to wake up for a change. He got dressed in his new clothes all by himself and burst into Usnavi’s room, jumping on his bed, “Navi! Navi, wake up!” Sonny exclaimed happily, bouncing on the bed and shaking his cousin’s shoulder. “C’mon Navi! It’s time for school!”

“Alright, alright…” Usnavi mumbled, blinking his eyes open, “I’m up, I’m up.”

Sonny laughed and jumped off the bed, running around the room full of energy, “Time for school! Time for school! I’m gonna go to school, and I’m gonna be a little boy, all the way home!”

Usnavi chuckled and got out of bed; he definitely wasn’t regretting this decision. They ate breakfast, and Usnavi walked Sonny to the bus stop, Sonny saying his little chant over and over again as he bounced and skipped around in pure joy. His teacher was definitely going to have their hands full.

They reached the Elementary school and tons of other kids and their parents were making their way inside. Usnavi had almost forgotten just how isolated the barrio was from the more populated part of town; he hadn’t seen this many people in one place since his days in the city.

Sonny nearly took off the second they stepped off the bus, so Usnavi grabbed his arm, “Calm down, you little hurricane,” He chided playfully. “Save that energy for later.”

They entered the school building and went to the cafeteria where tons of chairs were set up, dividing the kids by grade. Sonny’s smile was so wide as Usnavi went to a table and gave Sonny his own nametag sticker; he was finally going to school! But Sonny’s smile faded when he gazed at the sight. There were so many kids! Sonny had never been around so many people in his life! Usnavi navigated them to the kindergarten section of chairs and Sonny almost panicked when Usnavi let go of his hand.

“Go find a seat, okay?” Usnavi said.

“Can you sit with me?” Sonny asked, trying to sound brave.

Usnavi smiled sadly, picking up on Sonny’s shyness, “No, I have to sit with the other grown-ups; you have to sit with the other kids.” Sonny made a face so Usnavi knelt down and squeezed his shoulder reassuringly, “I know the first day of school is scary-”

“’M not scared…” Sonny mumbled, looking at the ground.

Usnavi chuckled, “You know, I was scared too when I went to school for the first time.”

“You were?” Sonny asked.

“I sure was,” Usnavi nodded, blurry images of him clinging to his parents as they entered his school reappearing in his mind. “It’s okay to be scared, but once the day starts, you won’t be scared anymore.”

Sonny bit his lip, “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure,” Usnavi confirmed and pointed to the rows of chairs further back in the room, “I’ll be right back there if you need me, okay? Just take a deep breath, be brave, and be yourself.”

Sonny nodded determinedly and took a deep breath before turning around and walking bravely to an empty seat. Usnavi smiled and went to the back of the room to find a seat himself, making sure he had a good view of Sonny just in case. Sonny sat quietly in his seat, gazing at the kids around him who were almost all laughing and talking to each other. They all knew each other but Sonny didn’t know anybody. He had wanted to go to school so bad, but now that he was actually here…

He turned around in his seat and managed to find Usnavi, who waved at him, making him feel a little better. Sonny turned back around and wrung his hands together as the principal stepped onto the stage, calling for everyone to quiet down. Sonny hoped Usnavi was right.

The orientation seemed to fly by and once it was done, the kids were all divided into their classes. The parents accompanied their children to the classroom where the teachers introduced themselves and encouraged the kids to do the same. Usnavi stood in the classroom and smile on his face as Sonny finally seemed to be getting over his initial fear. His excited smile was back on his face like it had never left.

Eventually, Sonny’s teacher clapped her hands, “Alright, it’s almost time for class to start; say goodbye to your parents and take your seats!”

Sonny ran up to Usnavi who knelt down in front of him, giving him a quick once over to make sure he had everything. Sonny gave Usnavi a quick hug and Usnavi smiled, “Are you excited?”

“Uh-huh!” Sonny nodded happily.

Usnavi nodded, “Alright, be good, do what you’re told, and play nice with the other kids, okay? If you have trouble finding the right bus to go home at the end of the day just ask a teacher for help.”

“Okay!”

Usnavi rubbed his shoulders, “Remember, I’m letting you go, because I trust you,” He said. “I trust you to be a good boy, okay?”

Sonny nodded, “I’m gonna be a little boy, all the way home!”

Usnavi beamed and ruffled his hair, “That’s my boy! Now get going.”

Sonny nodded and ran towards his classmates, “Bye, Navi!” He called, waving behind him.

“Have a good day,  _mijo!”_  Usnavi responded, waving. “I’ll see you at the bus stop!”

The school day also seemed to blaze by. The next thing Usnavi knew, he was standing at the bus stop. The yellow bus eventually arrived, and Usnavi spied his boy peeking out the window as the bus came to a stop.

Sonny skipped off the bus and ran towards him, a huge smile on his face, “Navi!”

“Hey,  _mijo!”_  Usnavi knelt down and scooped him up into a hug, “How was your first day?”

“It was fun! We did numbers, and the alphabet, and read books, and drew things!” Sonny gushed. “And we all ate lunch, and played catch outside for recess, and the teacher even gave us cookies for desert!” Sonny prattled on and on about his first day as they walked home, talking about every student in his class and all the things they had learned.

“And the best part was I didn’t turn into a wolf!” Sonny said happily.

“Really?” Usnavi asked, “Not once?”

“Nope!” Sonny shook his head proudly, “I felt like changing a few times, but I kept repeating the chant like you told me to, and it worked!”

“That’s great!” Usnavi exclaimed, relief flooding his chest, “I’m so proud of you, Sonny!” Letting Sonny go to school was going to be just fine.

* * *

After that, their days became more routine. They would wake up, eat breakfast, and Sonny would run off to the bus stop.  _“Adios, Navi!”_  Sonny would call every day as he hurried out the door.

 _“Adios, mijo!_  Have a good day!” Usnavi would respond, watching him go. Usnavi took him to and from the bus stop for a couple days until he was sure Sonny could do it himself. As for Sonny, he was able to fit in with his classmates before the first week was out. He loved answering questions, listening to his teacher read stories to them, drawing, and playing with the other kids. Sonny almost seemed magnetic, as all the kids loved to play with him.

Now, Sonny wasn’t exactly a golden child; he spoke out of turn sometimes, ran in the halls when he was excited, and more than once, his teacher had to tell Sonny to let some of the other kids answer questions. But Sonny slowly learned from his mistakes; school wasn’t like the forest or the mountain where he could do whatever he wanted. School had rules and he had to follow them the best he could. But none of that dampened his bright and sunny attitude that he brought to school every day, always seeming to bring smiles to his classmates, even when one was having a bad day.

Meanwhile, Usnavi had the whole day to himself and he could finally go out and find a proper job. Jane and Carlos’ savings were running low so it was time to make some money of his own. He went down to the barrio and asked around to see if there were any jobs available that he could take, until Kevin came up with an idea. He led Usnavi to a building that was right across from the salon.

It was a bodega, but it was certainly a lot bigger than the average one, as Kevin said it was slowly growing and needed more employees. Going inside, Usnavi could see a multitude of items on the shelves as well as a few food machines that were up and running. But what really caught his eye was the dusty coffee maker behind the counter.

All of a sudden, Usnavi got flashes to days long past, back when he was a child. Memories of his parents; they had a little bodega that looked almost like this before they… Usnavi chuckled and shook his head; was this fate? It seemed that the barrio always was there to provide answers when he needed them most. And so, with Benny and Kevin’s recommendation, Usnavi applied for a position there. The manager told him that the pay wasn’t great, and it wasn’t but it was enough to help Usnavi and Sonny get by; Usnavi was certain that this was the job he wanted.

It wasn’t long before Usnavi introduced his Papí’s coffee recipe to the store, and business in the morning started booming. Vanessa swore that Usnavi had been sent down from Heaven just to bless them with amazing coffee. Speaking of Vanessa, she and Usnavi started to get friendlier since Usnavi had to come to the barrio more often now. Vanessa would come by every morning to get coffee and Usnavi was always the one to ring her up. Some days, when no one was looking, Usnavi would give her coffee for free, even though it was only a dollar.

The pay wasn’t anything special, but it was enough for Usnavi, and along with the last of his aunt and uncle’s savings, he was able to slowly fill the house with more furniture and necessities, making it look much less empty than when they first arrived.

Sonny thought it was the coolest that Usnavi had a job now. He loved going to visit the bodega when school was done and on the weekends. While Sonny preferred playing in the woods, being there helped him see his other neighbors more often, like Nina and Vanessa; and Usnavi’s coworkers, Jose, Yesenia, and Julio, were really nice.

Not that Sonny was lonely, far from it; Sonny had been forming his own little friend group at school. They were all separated most of the time, except for Philip, who he actually met on the first day of school since he was in the same class. But during lunch and recess, Sonny and his group all stuck together like glue, only separating when class started and when it was time to go home. Sonny’s afternoons, weekends, breaks, and summers were fraught with play-dates, rotating between their houses. Thankfully, Benny was more than willing to bring Sonny to and from his friends’ houses if he went over or stayed the night. Benny didn’t have much to do on school days so he enjoyed being useful.

While Sonny loved going to his friends’ houses, Sonny loved it the most when they came to his house. “C’mon, you guys!” Sonny called as he ran up the mountain path.

“Slow down, Sonny!” Michael called.

“Yeah, you know we can’t run that fast!” Philip protested.

“You guys are just slow!” Sonny responded. “We’re almost there!”

The group of eight-year-olds huffed and puffed as they hiked up the trail, “Just how far are we going?” Jeremy asked.

“You’ll see!” Sonny teased, still a good distance ahead of his friends.

“Don’t worry, Sonny knows the best places,” Philip reassured, being a veteran of ‘Sonny excursions’.

“Better hurry, Sonny; Evan’s starting to breathe funny again!” Jared called.

“A-Are you s-sure we should be up here?” Evan asked nervously, wringing his hands as he wheezed ever so slightly.

“I come up here all the time, don’t worry,” Sonny reassured with a bright smile. “And if you’re tired, I can carry you.”

Evan bit his lip, “Uh, n-no thanks, I-I’ll be fine,” He said softly.

“Oh, we’re here!” Sonny exclaimed and ran ahead, entering the large grassy clearing with the lone tree in the middle. The other boys followed and smiled in amazement while Sonny had already waded through the tall grass and parked himself under the shade of the tree. “C’mon guys! Over here!” He called, waving.

“This place is so cool!” Michael exclaimed, plowing through the tall grass, dragging Jeremy by his hand behind him.

“You okay, Evan?” Jared asked as the boy was on his knees breathing heavily.

“Y-Yeah, s-sorry, I’m fine,” Evan wheezed.

Jared sighed loudly, “C’mon.” He got in front of Evan and knelt down.

Evan looked at his back, “B-But-”

“It’s fine; let’s just hurry,” Jared said. Evan slowly climbed onto Jared’s back and the two smaller boys joined the others under the tree.

“Shade!” Philip sighed, lying on the cool grass next to Sonny.

“You really come here all the time?” Jeremy asked.

“Uh-huh!” Sonny nodded, “Sometimes Navi comes with me and-” Sonny cut himself off and suddenly shot up, his eyes wide.

“What is it?” Michael asked.

Sonny stayed silent, his ears picking up movement as they slowly started to grow- no, no! ‘I’m gonna be a little boy all the way home!’ Sonny’s ears shrunk back to normal and a few seconds later he darted into the grass. “Sonny?” Philip called.

The boys saw rustling in the grass until Sonny’s head popped up, “Hey, look what I found!” He raised his arm where a decent sized snake was coiled around it.

Evan squeaked and hid behind Jared while Michael and Philip’s eyes lit up, “Cooool.” Sonny walked back to the tree, poking the snake’s head with his finger.

“S-Sonny, put it back, snakes bite people!” Jeremy cried, trying to pull Michael away.

“This one doesn’t,” Sonny said. “It’s a Rosy Boa; they’re nice snakes.”

Philip started petting the snake and Sonny even let him hold it, “I’ve never held a snake…” Philip said in awe.

“I wanna try!” Michael protested, finally wrenching himself away from Jeremy.

“Yeah, me too!” Jared chimed in, Evan still clinging to the back of Jared’s shirt.

“No, it’s still my turn!” Philp responded, holding the snake away from Michael.

“I’ll find another one!” Sonny chirped and vanished into the grass again. He easily found a Ball Python and made his way back to his friends where he gave it to Michael to hold. Philip finally let Jared hold the Rosy Boa and Sonny noticed someone was missing, “Where’s Evan?”

“Up in the tree,” Jared said. The boys looked up and sure enough, Evan was sitting in the branches, eyeing the snakes fearfully.

“Scaredy-cat!” Michael accused, though he could’ve been talking to Jeremy who was having the Ball Python shoved in his face by Michael and curling up in fear.

“Do you see any birds, Evan?” Sonny called.

“N-No…” Evan responded.

“There are really pretty ones up there if you climb really high; I’ll show you!” Sonny quickly scaled the tree and joined Evan, “C’mon!” And the two boys vanished into the branches.

The group of boys played in the clearing for a good few hours until Usnavi called them back down so they could get home, as Sonny’s hearing allowed him to always hear his cousin’s calls. Needless to say, the boys all greatly enjoyed going to Sonny’s house more and more with every visit.

Sonny would show them all his secret hideouts and paths up the mountain and through the forest where they would play pretend, hunt for animals, or climb trees. Once they got in trouble because Sonny convinced the other boys to jump in the creek with him and Jeremy ended up getting a cold. But other than that, Sonny couldn’t have been happier. He had found his own pack.

* * *

Usnavi and Sonny’s life seemed to finally be falling into the normal category. Usnavi had a job that could support them, they had plenty of food from their fields, Sonny was happy in school with his friends; everything seemed perfect.

However, when Sonny turned nine, he realized that he hadn’t spent any time alone in the forest for a while. With school and his friends eating up his time, Sonny couldn’t remember the last time he had run through the trees as a wolf. In fact, Sonny hadn’t become a wolf in a while since he was almost always around people. Sonny stepped outside and fully transformed; it almost felt foreign to him.

Sonny looked up at the sky; it was still late afternoon and none of his friends could play with him today. He still had homework to do, but it could wait; the smell of mountain air was drawing him in like a moth to a flame.

“Usnavi!” Sonny called, still as a wolf.

“Yeah?”

“Can I go up the mountain?”

“Alright, but hurry back, dinner’s in an hour!”

An hour was more than enough time. Sonny stepped down and cantered down the driveway, building up his speed until he reached the mountain path. Sonny panted as he ran through the trees at top speed, way faster than as a human. It had been so long! Sonny hadn’t realized how much he had missed this! Sonny ran along the river, passing all the familiar sights but with the plan of going farther.

Sonny ran and ran, feeling like he was flying, when he came to a halt. He had reached a large clearing, but this one was made of trees. Large trees made a circle around one point, where the largest tree Sonny had ever seen stood. The roots and boulders surrounding it were enormous, and ray of sunlight were streaming through the tree branches. Sonny slowly moved closer, gazing at all the tiny plants and animals scattered around.

This place was so cool! Sonny had to tell Usnavi about this place, and maybe his friends too! Heck, he wanted to show everybody how beautiful this place was, he-

Sonny froze and his head shot up. Sitting on top of the largest boulder in front of the tree…was a wolf. Sonny’s eyes widened, almost thinking he was seeing things. Another wolf? Sonny had never seen another one before! It was large and had black fur on its back with white on its underside. It had big golden eyes that seemed to pierce into Sonny. So much so that Sonny quickly found himself backing away in fear.

The wolf continued to look at him, as if it was studying him and Sonny slowly turned around and went back the way he came. He couldn’t help but glance back a few times as the wolf watched him go.

Sonny made it back in time for dinner, but those golden eyes stayed in his head the rest of the night.

* * *

From that day on, Sonny made a point of taking an hour or two to run through the mountain as a wolf. He always ran up to that giant tree before running back. And every time, that wolf was there. Sonny didn’t know why he kept going back; was he trying to prove something? He didn’t know. The wolf never moved or anything when Sonny came. It just stared at him, studying him, probably also trying to figure out why he kept coming. Sonny kept telling himself that maybe one day he would try to talk to the wolf. He was a wolf too, so he had to be able to understand him, right?

“Hey cuz?” Sonny paused in his homework in the kitchen.

“Yeah?” Usnavi asked, glancing at the ten-year-old from where he was cooking dinner.

“Um…” Sonny fiddled with his pencil, “Do you think…if there were other wolves around here, that…I could talk to them?”

Usnavi looked at him with a light frown, “You mean, understand them?”

“Yeah,” Sonny kept his gaze focused on the table, “I mean, if I’m a wolf, then I should be able to talk to them, right?”

Usnavi shrugged and turned his attention back to the counter, “I don’t know,” He admitted. “You have wolf blood in you, so I wouldn’t be surprised if you could talk to wolves.” He looked back at Sonny, “Why do you ask?”

“Just wondering,” Sonny said. Usnavi looked a tad skeptical so Sonny quickly changed tactics, “Have you asked Vanessa out yet?” He blurted out, causing his cousin to turn bright red and stutter. That ended the conversation perfectly.

Sonny slept on it that night and decided to think on it a bit the next day at school. Sonny stared out the window in his classroom when his teacher called everyone to attention. “Listen up, everyone; we have a new student joining us.”

Sonny and everyone perked up as a boy wearing baggy clothes and a baseball cap covering his head entered. Sonny frowned; he looked a few years older than Sonny, why were they in the same class?

“My name’s Pete,” The new kid said. “I just moved here.”

“Hi, Pete,” The class chirruped.

His teacher nodded, “Now, I want all of you to treat our new friend here nicely and make him feel at home,” He said to the class. “Go ahead and take your seat; you can take the one behind Sonny over there.”

Pete nodded and headed over, only glancing at Sonny as he passed. Sonny blew air sharply out of his nose as paint fumes hit him like a brick wall. Pete took his seat behind Sonny and class commenced, but the whole time, Sonny couldn’t help but feel a bit…watched.

Sonny dared to glance behind him, and sure enough, Pete was staring at him. Sonny frowned slightly before deciding to just ignore him and focus on the teacher and the problems on the chalkboard. The entire time, Sonny could feel Pete’s stare boring into him. After a while, the teacher left the room for a moment, leaving the students to solve problems in their workbooks.

“Hey.” Sonny felt a poke on his back. “Hey.” Sonny turned to see Pete looking at him.

“What?” Sonny asked in a guarded tone.

“Do you have a dog?”

Sonny blinked at the question, “Uh…no.”

“Really?” Pete looked a bit surprised, “cause you kinda smell like you do.”

Sonny felt his mouth go dry. “We…we don’t have a dog.” Sonny managed to choke out.

“Are you saying he smells like a dog?” Philip asked, a frown crossing his face.

Pete shrugged, “I dunno; guess I just imagined it.”

Sonny turned away, the math problems in his book seeming far away. The moment he was able, Sonny went to the bathroom and washed his hands. When he was done, Sonny tentatively gave his arm a sniff, wincing at the scent of the cheap hand soap. He didn’t smell like a dog…did he? Sonny gave his shirt a sniff and the smell of earth and plants hit his nose; why did Pete say he smelled like a dog? He didn’t smell anything like a dog! …What did dogs even smell like?

Sonny went back to class and Philip poked him when he sat down, “You okay?”

Sonny nodded, “M’fine.”

That night, Sonny just about scrubbed himself raw in the shower.

The next day, Sonny walked to class with Philip and they passed Pete in the hall. Philip gave him a friendly nod that the older boy returned, but Sonny avoided his gaze. If he had looked, he would’ve seen the small frown cross Pete’s face. Recess rolled around and Sonny was playing soccer with Philip, Jared, and Michael, while Jeremy and Evan kept score between the duos. Sonny stole the ball and ran towards the goal when he noticed Pete was watching him from a distance. Unfortunately, that one second allowed Jared to steal the ball from him. Sonny shook his head and kept his focus solely on the game; Pete didn’t leave until recess ended.

The next day, no matter where Sonny went, Pete was always looking at him. Sonny did his best to avoid eye contact, but it did no good. But the worst came when Pete started to try talking to him. Pete would approach him in the halls or before class started, prompting Sonny to hurry away to the bathroom or someplace he could hide until the bell rang. Sonny’s friends seemed to notice his skittish nature, as Sonny began running off whenever Pete approached them while they played.

“Dude, are you okay?” Jared asked at one point. “Every time the new kid comes over you look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“I-It’s nothing,” Sonny would always answer softly. Sonny hated this; he hated coming to school scared out of his mind because of Pete, and he didn’t even do anything! But…he couldn’t risk it; he couldn’t risk his secret getting out. Usnavi was the only one he could trust with his secret. Why couldn’t Pete just leave him alone?

“Yo, Sonny!” Sonny flinched and started moving quickly across the blacktop, avoiding the other kids playing. “Hey, Sonny, c’mon!” Pete called, hurrying after him. “Just tell me the truth!”

Sonny froze at that; no, there was no way he knew. It had to be a coincidence, it had to! “About what?” Sonny asked, looking back at him slightly.

Pete frowned, “Did I make you mad, or something?”

Sonny felt a touch of relief; he didn’t know. Now was his chance to straighten everything out and get Pete off his back. “No, you didn’t.”

Pete looked confused, “Then why do you keep running away from me?” He demanded.

“I’m not,” Sonny answered weakly.

“Is it because I’m the new kid or something?” Pete asked angrily. “If that’s what it is, then just say it!”

“No! It’s not that!” Sonny snapped. His heart started to pound; he wanted to get away. He just wanted Pete to leave. “It-it’s nothing, okay? I’m not mad or anything.”

“Then why don’t you just talk to me?” Pete asked.

“I just did,” Sonny answered, and started to walk away again.

“Hey!” Pete started after him, forcing Sonny to jog until he reached the playground.

_‘I’m gonna be a little boy, all the way home.’_

“Sonny!” Pete called.

Sonny began to walk away again, tapping his chest lightly with his finger in time.  _‘I’m gonna be a little boy all the way home. I’m gonna be a little boy all the way home.’_

“Sonny!” Pete appeared around the playground to face him.

Sonny turned on his heel and headed towards the school building.  _‘I’m gonna be a little boy all the way home, I’m gonna be a little boy all the way home,’_  Sonny turned a corner and ran towards the back of the building.  _‘I’m gonna be a little boy…I’m gonna-’_

“Sonny, wait!”

Sonny skidded to a halt as he came to a dead end. Sonny glanced around anxiously for a way to escape, but he was trapped in a corner, Pete approaching. “Just leave me alone!” Sonny yelled, his eyes stinging.

“What is your problem?” Pete demanded, still walking towards him. “I just wanna-”

“Stop it!” Sonny yelled, shoving him back. “Just stay away from me!”

“Sonny, quit it!” Pete persisted, coming towards him again. Sonny tried to push him again, but Pete grabbed his wrists and tried to hold him back. “Look Sonny, I just-”

“Let go!” Sonny screamed, pulling against his hold.

“Sonny!”

“JUST GO AWAY!” Sonny’s hand shot forward and Pete let out a yell of pain as red splashed in Sonny’s vision. Pete let go of Sonny and fell backwards, holding his right ear in pain, his baseball cap on the ground.

Sonny breathed deeply, his heart racing in his ears as his blurry vision homed in on Pete. The boy was still on the ground, eyes shut tight as he held his ear, moaning in pain. Sonny saw red dripping from Pete’s head, and a copper smell filled his nose. Sonny looked down at his hands to see that both of them were wide like paws, claws emerging from his nails, and the left one was covered in blood. His ears were peeking out of his curls and his face was that of a terrified yet angry dog.

It took Sonny a good minute to remember where he was and he somehow managed to shift back to normal, but that didn’t clean the blood covering his hand. Sonny felt himself stumble and fall backwards as he stared at Pete, who was looking at him with pain-filled eyes as he heard more voices approaching them.

Sonny thought he saw Philip and Evan by his side along with a teacher looking at Pete, but he couldn’t tell. The rest of his vision stayed blurry as he was slowly led back inside.

* * *

“Hey Usnavi; you got a phone call!”

Usnavi looked up from his clipboard from his place in the backroom, “Okay!” He responded. He quickly jotted down the rest of the storage they had and hurried out to where Jose was holding the phone.

Usnavi nodded in thanks and took the phone; who could be calling him? “Usnavi speaking.”

* * *

Usnavi silently wrung his hands in the car as Benny drove towards the school. Benny had a concerned look on his face as he kept his eyes trained on the road, most likely thinking the same thing as Usnavi. Sonny, in a fight? What on earth happened? The worst part was that Usnavi had a feeling deep in his gut that he knew exactly what happened. He just hoped to high heaven that he was wrong.

Benny parked the car and Usnavi headed into the building. When he entered the office, Sonny’s teacher, the principal, and the nurse were there. Sonny and an older boy were sitting across from each other on the couches in the office. The older boy had a large medical patch covering his ear, kept on with medical tape, red slowly seeping through.

“Mr. De la Vega,” The principal greeted as Usnavi fully stepped inside. “I apologize for calling you in at such an hour.”

“What happened?” Usnavi asked, managing to keep his voice steady as he approached Sonny.

“We’re not exactly sure,” Sonny’s teacher answered. “I found them behind the school; Pete’s ear was covered in blood and it was all over Sonny’s hand as well.” The nurse seemed to be rubbing Pete’s shoulder in a sign of comfort, though Pete didn’t seem exactly traumatized. “We’ve tried asking Sonny, but he’s been very quiet since we found them.”

Usnavi nodded in understanding and knelt down in front of Sonny,  _“Mijo?”_  He called softly. Sonny was quiet. “Sonny, did you hurt this boy?” Usnavi asked gently. Sonny still didn’t respond, giving the answer.

Usnavi took a deep breath; seemed that he was right after all. “Did you apologize?” Sonny silently looked away.

“Do it, then,” Usnavi said, a firm edge to his voice. Sonny bit his lip. “I’m not asking you, Sonny,” Usnavi said. “Apologize to him, right now.”

Sonny still said nothing, but he slowly stood up and faced Pete without looking at him. “…I’m sorry…” He whispered weakly.

Usnavi stood up and looked at Pete as well, “I’m sorry, too; I hope you can forgive Sonny.” To his relief, Pete slightly nodded, no trace of resentment on his face. The teacher and principal seemed satisfied, but Sonny was still void of emotion.

“The school will cover any medical expenses you may need,” The nurse said to Pete. “Just tell your parents to contact us if something goes wrong, okay?”

“Kay,” Pete said softly.

The principal then approached Sonny, “I hope this won’t happen again, young man,” He said firmly. “Your teacher tells me that you’re a very bright student, and we don’t want you doing things that you’ll regret.”

Sonny shook slightly as he felt guilt rise in him, prompting him to move to Usnavi and hide behind him; why did they have to rub it in? Why couldn’t they just leave him alone? Usnavi felt his heart clench as Sonny held the hem of his shirt, something he hadn’t done since he was a toddler. Sonny was scared, and there was nothing he could do about it.

“One more question,” The nurse spoke up. “Sonny, how did you hurt Pete?” Sonny tensed.

“I don’t think that answer is necessary,” Sonny’s teacher said.

“I’m just asking because I’m confused,” The nurse said. “Pete’s ear had a huge gash in it, almost like it was done by a knife or something sharp.” Usnavi unconsciously took one of Sonny’s hands, the smaller boy squeezing it tightly.

“There were no weapons anywhere,” The teacher assured her. “Although that is a bit concerning.”

Sonny hid his face in Usnavi’s shirt, his shivering apparent. Unfortunately, the principal took notice. “Sonny?” He asked, making Sonny shiver more and Usnavi squeeze his hand even tighter. “Is there something you’re not telling us?”

“It wasn’t him!” Everyone stopped and turned to Pete. Pete looked awkwardly at the ground, his hands in fists, “He didn’t do it, it was a wolf.”

Usnavi’s eyes widened while the teacher and principal looked on in concern, “Pete, are you sure?”

Pete fidgeted, “Well…I don’t really know what I saw, but Sonny didn’t do it. So, leave him alone.”

Usnavi stared at Pete in shock, while Sonny seemed to tense greatly. No one had anything more to say after that. The principal let both Sonny and Pete go home early.

Sonny was silent the whole way home, and slowly followed Usnavi into the house. Usnavi hung up his jacket, not really sure what to say. He looked at Sonny was still standing in the doorway, head low.

“You want to take your jacket off?” Usnavi asked gently. Sonny was silent before he slowly moved and slipped it off. He moved towards the rack and Usnavi took it to hang up.

“…I didn’t mean to…”

It was so soft, Usnavi almost missed it. “What?” He asked, turning around.

Sonny started to shake lightly, “I didn’t want to change…” He whispered. “I kept saying it…but it didn’t work…” Sonny lifted his head slightly, allowing Usnavi to see the tears welling up in his eyes, “Are…are they gonna kick me out of school?” He asked weakly. “Are we gonna have to move…because of me?” Usnavi bit his lip; it killed him to see Sonny cry.

Sonny’s shoulders shook and his tears began to fall, “I’m sorry…I’m sorry, Navi!”

“Oh, Sonny…” Usnavi pulled Sonny into a hug as the boy began to cry in earnest. They slowly knelt down on the floor, allowing Sonny to curl into Usnavi.

“I tried Navi, I really tried!” Sonny sobbed, “I didn’t mean to! I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”

“Shh, I know, I know…” Usnavi soothed, stroking his curly hair. “I know,  _mijo;_  it’s gonna be okay.” Sonny continued to cry into him, and Usnavi eventually picked Sonny up with some effort; he was getting heavy. He brought them to the couch and sat Sonny on his lap, still holding him close until Sonny’s sobs were reduced to soft hiccups.

They sat in silence for a while until Sonny spoke up again, “Navi?”

“Yeah?”

“…Are you mad?”

Usnavi frowned slightly and looked down at him, “Why would I be mad?”

Sonny’s lower lip trembled, “You said you trusted me, but…I still messed up…” His little hands curled into fists, “Do…do you hate me?”

Usnavi started, “ _Mijo,_  it was just an accident; I’m not gonna hate you for that!”

Sonny sniffed, “Really?”

“Yes,” Usnavi said sincerely, “I know you didn’t mean to turn into a wolf; I don’t hate you, I could never hate you.”

Sonny looked up at him with wide eyes, “But…but I messed up…I messed up our secret…”

“Everyone messes up sometimes,  _mijo,_  even grown-ups,” Usnavi said. “If I messed up, would you hate me?” Sonny silently shook his head and Usnavi smiled, “I love you,  _mijo;_  you’re my little boy, and no matter what you do, I’ll always love you.” He pulled out a tissue from the side table and wiped his tears away, “So no more crying; it’s gonna be okay.”

Sonny sniffed again, but a smile slowly began to appear on his face. “There’s my ray of sunshine,” Usnavi said, smiling and pressing a kiss to his forehead. “Now, how about you blow your nose, turn on the TV, and I’ll get us some Cola Champagne; how does that sound?”

Sonny’s smile became a bit stronger and took the tissue from Usnavi as he scooted off his lap. Usnavi got up and went to the fridge, pulling out two glass bottles; today had ended on a good note.

* * *

Despite Usnavi clearing the air, Sonny was reluctant to go back to school. Sonny wanted to wait until everyone forgot about what had happened, and Usnavi allowed it. Usnavi was afraid that Sonny would be completely withdrawn, like not wanting to eat or spend the whole day in his room. But Sonny was simply quiet. He still ate meals with Usnavi, and instead of staying in his room, Sonny instead went up to the mountain.

He had been starting to stay up there a lot longer than usual, but he always came back for meals and before it got dark, so Usnavi told himself to not worry. But that didn’t mean that Usnavi wasn’t just the tiniest bit worried about how isolated Sonny was becoming. Not even Nina could get him to open up.

What happened with Pete really seemed to get to him, and Usnavi wished he could understand what he was going through. He wished Tío Carlos had told him about a time where he felt the same way; hell, he wished Tío Carlos were here so he could have a heart to heart talk with his son and tell him everything would be alright. But Usnavi was all he had, and Usnavi was once again stuck wondering if he was enough for Sonny. There had to be something that would get Sonny to smile again.

That answer came in the form of none other than Pete. Usnavi had been coming back from the fields one afternoon when he spied a figure hanging around their front door, holding a small stack of papers. It was a boy that looked a few years older than Sonny. And it wasn’t one of Sonny’s friends. It took Usnavi a minute to take in the boy’s face, his baseball cap, and bandage on his head; was that Pete?

Usnavi took off his gloves and slowly started towards the boy, “Hey,” He called. “Can I help you?” The boy jumped and quickly put the papers on the front step before running away.

“Wait!” Usnavi called. He started giving chase but by the time he reached the front door, the boy was already out of the driveway. That definitely seemed to be Pete, alright; but what was he doing here? Usnavi looked down at the small stack of papers and picked them up. It was homework, from all the days Sonny had missed.

Usnavi felt a small smile pull at his face as he stared at the end of the driveway; he didn’t take Pete for the kind type. Usnavi went inside and found Sonny on the couch, “Hey.” He said. “You’ll never guess who dropped by.” Sonny looked up at him curiously.

“It was Pete.” Usnavi said. Sonny visibly tensed. Usnavi held up the papers, “He dropped off the homework you missed.” Usnavi handed him the papers. Sonny looked at it before silently getting up and hurrying to his room. Usnavi sighed; at least he’d have something to do now.

* * *

The rest of the week flew by, and every afternoon, Pete dropped by for only a few moments. He either dropped off homework or little snacks and candies. Usnavi always smiled whenever he found the treats on his doorstep and always made sure to put them on Sonny’s desk in his room. Sonny still seemed uncomfortable talking about Pete, but he seemed to be getting a bit more relaxed.

Usnavi didn’t doubt that him going up the mountain all the time helped; Sonny always seemed much looser whenever he was up there, and he always seemed relaxed when he came back. Sonny seemed to be on the right track to recovering, he just needed a few more little pushes.

One of those pushes came from a phone call. Sonny was hanging out in his room, doing the homework he had missed, and Usnavi was in the kitchen when their landline rang. Usnavi picked it up, “Hello?”

“Um, hi Mr. De la Vega,” A familiar voice said. “It’s Philip.”

“Oh, hey Philip!” Usnavi greeted. “What can I do for you? Do you want to talk to Sonny?”

“Uh, not yet,” Philip responded. “I, er, we were wondering if maybe Sonny could come over to my place?”

“We?” Usnavi asked.

“I have the others here and, well, we miss Sonny at school.” Philip paused. “So…can he come?”

Usnavi smiled, “I’m fine with that, but I’ll let you talk to Sonny about it first.”

“Okay.”

Usnavi climbed the stairs and knocked on Sonny’s half-open door, “Hey.” Sonny looked at him from his spot on his bed where he was staring out the window. Usnavi held up the phone, “It’s Philip; he wants to talk to you.”

“…Really?” Sonny asked as if that idea was ridiculous.

“Yeah; it sounds like your friends all miss you,” Usnavi said, stepping into the room and handing him the phone.

Sonny swallowed and put the phone to his ear, “Hello?”

“Sonny!” Usnavi heard Philip’s excited voice from where he was standing. “Guys, it’s Sonny!” A multitude of voices could be heard in the background and Usnavi spied a smile building on Sonny’s face.

“Hey guys,” Sonny said softly. Usnavi let the room and went back downstairs.

About ten minutes later, Sonny came down and peeked into the living room where Usnavi was sitting, “Um, I’m gonna go down to the dispatch so Benny can drive me to Philip’s. We’re gonna have pizza.”

Usnavi smiled, “Be back by nine.” Sonny nodded and just about bolted out the door.

A few hours later, Usnavi was checking the fields when he spotted a familiar figure walking towards their driveway. “Hey!” Usnavi waved. “You’re Pete, right?” Pete looked at him but didn’t say anything. “Sonny’s not here if you’re looking for him; he went to a friend’s house.” Usnavi said.

“Oh, okay,” Pete responded and started back the way he came.

“Hold on!” Usnavi called, standing up. Pete stopped and Usnavi started walking towards him. Usnavi felt a bit of pity as Pete seemed to be tensing to run. “Why don’t you come inside for a bit and cool off?” He offered.

Pete blinked as if not expecting that, “Uh, n-no, it’s okay, I don’t wanna intrude-”

“It’s the least I can do,” Usnavi said, waving his hand. “After all, it’s a real hike to get all the way up here.”

Usnavi led Pete into the house and fixed him a glass of water. Pete glanced around the house, taking it in; his eyes seemed to linger on Usnavi’s old family photo for a while, but soon broke away. “Uh, is Sonny okay?” He asked.

Usnavi took a seat across the table from him, “He’s still a bit shaken, but he’s getting better,” He said. “I think spending the day with his friends today will really help though.”

Pete nodded, “I…I don’t want Sonny to stop coming to school because of something he didn’t do.”

Usnavi smiled softly, “You said back then that a wolf hurt you; is that true?” He asked.

“Yeah,” Pete looked unsure, “I-I think so…”

“You think so?” Usnavi asked.

“I know it sounds stupid, but I swear, I saw a wolf for a second!” Pete said, almost urgently, “The next thing I knew, my ear was all bloody; the wolf did it, not Sonny, so he shouldn’t get blamed for it!” Usnavi kept himself from chuckling; it sounded like Pete was trying to protest on Sonny’s behalf so the universe wouldn’t punish him.

Pete pouted and sipped his water, “No one believes me; some kids think that Sonny did it, but they weren’t even there,” He muttered. Usnavi felt his heart swell; Pete had been sticking up for Sonny while he wasn’t there. He was protecting his boy when Usnavi couldn’t; Sonny deserved to hear that.

“Well, I believe you,” Usnavi said, making Pete look at him in surprise. “But with everything that happened, do you hate wolves now?” He asked.

Pete tilted his head at the question but shrugged, “No, they’re still pretty cool, I guess,” He said.

Usnavi smiled, “I feel the same way.”

Pete left shortly after he finished his drink, and Usnavi made it clear that he was welcome to come at any time. When nine rolled around, Benny had dropped Sonny off, the boy smiling and rambling about all the games he played with all his friends. Usnavi listened with a light heart and sent Sonny up to get ready for bed.

Once Sonny was in bed, Usnavi knocked on his door and entered, “Hey, can we talk?”

Sonny nodded, sitting up, “What?”

Usnavi sat down on the side of his bed, “Well, while you were gone, Pete dropped by again.”

Sonny flinched and looked away, “Did he leave more stuff?” He asked; Usnavi couldn’t tell if he sounded excited or wary.

“Nothing this time; but I got to have a little talk with him,” Usnavi said. “You know what he said? He said that he’s sure that you didn’t hurt him.” Sonny slowly looked up at Usnavi in shock. “He thinks it’s unfair that you got in trouble for it, and he’s been telling the other kids that it wasn’t your fault.” Usnavi squeezed his shoulder, “He really wants you to come back to school.”

Sonny bit his lip and gripped the hem of his blanket in his hands. “Philip and the others miss me too…” He said softly.

Usnavi smiled sadly, “Well, it’s still up to you.” Usnavi kissed his forehead,  _“Buenos noches, mijo.”_

 _“Buenos noches,”_  Sonny said softly.

The next day, Sonny went up on the mountain early, and stayed up there almost all day. He barely made it in time for dinner.

“Up on the mountain, again?” Usnavi asked as he set the table.

“Mm-hm.” Sonny nodded. “What were you doing up there?”

“Just thinking,” Sonny answered simply.

Usnavi nodded and decided not to mention that Pete had dropped by again that day. “Did you see anything cool up there?” Usnavi asked, serving their food.

“I saw a nest with a bunch of baby bunnies,” Sonny said, a bit of excitement in his voice. “They were so teeny, and fluffy!”

Dinner went by like a flash, and Sonny eventually headed upstairs to get ready for bed. “Uh, Navi?” Sonny peeked out from over the stair railing.

“Yeah?”

“I…I think I, I’m gonna go to school tomorrow.”

Usnavi blinked, “Are you sure?”

Sonny hesitated but eventually nodded, “Yeah, yeah, I’ll be fine.”

“Okay,  _mijo_.”

* * *

The next morning, Sonny woke himself up and took a deep breath. Today, he would do it; he was gonna go back to school. Surely everyone had forgotten about what happened by now. Usnavi was pleased to see him up and ready as he made breakfast. Sonny silently ate, his heart still pounding; even after he finished his breakfast, Sonny seemed glued to his chair. Usnavi’s face fell, but it brightened once he glanced out the window of the front door.

Usnavi went back to the kitchen and touched Sonny’s shoulder, “C’mon, time to go.” Sonny slowly got up and got his backpack. Usnavi held his shoulders gently and lifted his chin, “Hey, it’s gonna be fine,” He soothed. “I promise.”

A small smile pulled at Sonny’s face for a second and he walked out the door. Sonny only made it a little ways down the driveway when he stopped. Pete was standing in the middle of the driveway, backpack on, and his patch still visible. Sonny couldn’t move; why was he here? He wanted to turn around, he wanted to run back into the house and never come back out, but his feet stayed rooted to the spot. Sonny held his breath as Pete cautiously approached him; he didn’t seem angry, but he didn’t seem happy to see him either.

“Hey, Sonny,” Pete greeted, his expression neutral.

Sonny rubbed his arm, glancing at him every now and then, “…Hi.” Sonny eyed the ground; he couldn’t bring himself to look at the patch on Pete’s ear.

“Wanna see my ear?” Pete asked. Sonny didn’t answer, his mind frozen, and Pete took off his cap. In one swift motion, he ripped the patch off, making Sonny flinch. Pete’s ear definitely looked a lot better, with only a few scars on it.

“I think it looks pretty cool,” Pete said. Sonny found himself wordlessly nodding; those scars did look pretty neat. They made Pete look like some kind of warrior. “Wanna touch it?” Pete asked, catching Sonny by surprise. Pete leaned forward, and Sonny slowly reached up, flinching away for a second before he touched it. He ran his fingers along the scars, finding them to be less deep than he originally thought.

“Does it hurt?” Sonny asked.

“Nope; just itches a bit,” Pete said.

Sonny stepped back and looked at the ground, his guilt coming back, “I’m sorry…” He whispered.

Pete stood back up straight and sighed. Sonny blinked as Pete plopped his cap right on Sonny’s head, “I can’t show off these scars if a hat’s hiding them,” Pete said. “If you quit blaming yourself, you can keep it.”

Sonny’s eyes grew wide as he touched the hat that was just a bit too big for his head, “R-Really?”

Pete shrugged, “Sure; I have a bunch at home anyway.” He turned around and started to walk down the driveway, “C’mon, don’t wanna miss the bus.”

A smile pulled at Sonny’s face and he hurried after Pete, holding his new cap steady on his head. Usnavi smiled as he watched from the window, sighing in relief. Things were finally looking up again.

* * *

After Sonny returned to school, things went back to normal. It certainly helped that Philip and everyone were waiting in the hall for him when he and Pete arrived. They all greeted him happily, all of them so happy to see him again. It was then that Sonny realized how stupid he had been to let that little accident bother him so much.

Sonny returned to class with a new energy, ready to make up for all the classes he’d missed. Sonny even started hanging out more with Pete after school along with his original friend group, wearing Pete’s old cap on his head every day. His friends helped him catch up with all his missed work, and Sonny could feel that his pack had become more tightknit than ever before.

Things at school were finally back to normal. Usnavi felt like a weight had been lifted as things returned to the status quo, for the most part. Time flew by and Sonny no longer stayed cooped up at home like he did as a child, but rather went up the mountain or hung out with his friends.

Sonny was fifteen now, after all, so Usnavi didn’t think anything of it. He trusted the rest of the barrio to bring Sonny home, and if he was out on the mountain, Sonny still always came when Usnavi called. But after a while, Usnavi did begin to get a little curious about what his cousin was doing up on the mountain for so long that it caused him to not come back until dinner.

Usnavi questioned him about it, but Sonny only responded with, “I’m going to see a friend.”

“All the way up the mountain?” Usnavi had asked.

“Yeah, he lives there,” Sonny answered.

Usnavi asked around the barrio if anyone lived up on the mountain, but no one seemed to know. Usnavi became even more curious when Sonny came home one evening so hungry he practically inhaled his food.

“Have a lot of fun with your friend?” Usnavi teased as he and Sonny washed the dishes.

“I wouldn’t call it fun,” Sonny responded. “Chip’s a tough teacher.”

That caught Usnavi by surprise. “Teacher?”

“Yeah, he teaches me things,” Sonny answered.

“About what?”

“The mountain,” Sonny answered. “He teaches me about the plants and animals, cause he’s lived up there for a long time.”

“Huh,” Usnavi said.

“What?” Sonny asked a bit nervously.

Usnavi shook his head, “I’m just surprised that you’re getting along with someone older than you; here I thought you were goofing around with another friend from school or something.”

Sonny laughed nervously, “Yeah, I guess.”

“Maybe you could bring him down to visit sometime,” Usnavi offered.

Sonny made a face, “I dunno, Chip doesn’t really care for people.”

“An introvert?”

“No, he just doesn’t come down as much as the other animals.” Sonny froze as he realized what he just said, and Usnavi almost dropped the dish he was holding. Sonny looked at him and started backpedaling, “I mean, uh, I just, well, I…” He trailed off as Usnavi stared at him in shock.

Sonny bit his lip and shuffled his feet, staring at the ground nervously as Usnavi fully faced him. “So…all this time, you’ve been going up the mountain…and letting animals teach you?”

“…Yeah.” Sonny said softly. Usnavi was quiet for a moment before he started laughing, making Sonny look at him in confusion.

“What’s so funny?” Sonny asked. 

“Sorry,” Usnavi said. “It’s just, it seems like just yesterday when you were getting into fights with animals around here, and now you’re actually being taught by them?”

Sonny frowned, “What? They actually know what they’re doing and, you know…” He paused. “I don’t. Haven’t been a real wolf very much.”

Usnavi frowned, “How do other animals teach you to be a wolf?”

"They don’t,” Sonny said. “Chip does; he  _is_  a wolf.”

Usnavi started, “You…You found another wolf?” He asked. “Are you serious?”

“Yeah,” Sonny said with a shrug, “He’s…actually the last of his kind too; s’why he decided to teach me.”

They finished the dishes in silence until Usnavi finally breaks the silence. “I wanna meet him.”

Sonny blinked at him, “What?”

“I wanna meet your wolf teacher,” Usnavi said. “What did you say his name was? Chip?”

“Y-Yeah, but…” Sonny looked shocked. “You really want to meet him?”

Usnavi smiled, “Well, I’d definitely like to meet the one who’s been teaching you all this stuff you’ve been enjoying so much,” He said. “Do you think he’d be okay with a human coming up with you?”

Sonny’s mind still seemed to be catching up, but he eventually blinked and answered, “Y-Yeah, I…I think he’d be fine with you.”

* * *

 

When Sonny’s next lesson rolled around, Usnavi and Sonny hiked up the mountain together. Usnavi was surprised at just how much farther from their usual path he remembered, just to reach his teacher. When they arrived, Usnavi’s breath was almost taken away by the giant tree with sunlight filtering through the leaves. And his heart skipped a beat when he spied the wolf sitting on the top of the rock. Despite being around Sonny for fifteen years, seeing a real wolf with his own eyes was incredible.

The wolf leapt down from the rocks and to their ground level, moving towards Sonny as he stared at Usnavi with hard eyes. Sonny transformed into a wolf and Chip looked at him. They were silent for a few moments, having a kind of silent conversation, until Sonny looked at Usnavi and nodded.

Taking that as his cue, Usnavi took a peach out of his bag, to have as a gift or peace offering to the wolf. He knelt down and the wolf slowly approached him. Usnavi held out the peach and Chip sniffed his hand.

“It’s okay,” Usnavi said softly. “I won’t hurt you.” Chip sniffed him a bit more before taking the peach and eating it. Once the wolf was done, it sniffed Usnavi again and stepped closer.

Usnavi looked at Sonny, who nodded, and Usnavi gently rested his hand on Chip’s head. “I wanted to thank you,” He said gently. “You’ve been teaching Sonny things that I can’t, and I’m really grateful for that.” The wolf stared intently at him, as if studying him and seemed to give him a nod.

Chip then pulled away from Usnavi’s hand and looked at Sonny, who returned the nod. Chip began to head towards the rocks surrounding the tree and Sonny followed, giving his cousin one last look before vanishing into the trees.

Sonny panted as he ran behind Chip, trying desperately not to stumble on any rocks or roots that were hiding. Outings with Chip were very tiring; they always involved running long distances for long periods of time. And if Sonny slipped once on the ground, he would fall behind. Chip would always tell him to trust his body, and to not look at the ground or anything that would trip him up.

Once Sonny got into a rhythm, he would be able to run without worrying about his paws hitting anything. And after a good few weeks of running with Chip, Sonny finally got the hang of it. Now he could get even further up the mountain and learn how to leap up and across large boulders without slipping.

Man, when did wolf things become so hard? For all his life, being able to successfully transform back and forth between human and wolf and controlling it was the milestone for Sonny, and now there’s all this? Did his Papí learn all this too when he was a kid?

Sonny followed Chip through the mountains for what felt like hours, but the wind blowing through his fur made the running worth it, as well as the occasional break to drink from a stream or spring. Sonny swore that water was magic. But he and Chip didn’t run all the time; sometimes they would hunt, or just watch the animals.

Sonny remembered running into a handful of animals on his own, but if he looked in the right places, he found animals that he never knew existed! He almost wished he could bring his own pack up here just to give them a real taste of nature in all its glory.

Sonny ran beside Chip as they reached the top of the mountain, the forest slowly fading away to empty rock surfaces. Sonny ran ahead, relishing the lack of trip hazards when they reached the peak, and Sonny skidded to a halt, Chip by his side. Below them was a grassy field with a bright blue pond in the middle. With the way the wind blew gentle ripples across the surface and how the clouds and sky were perfectly reflected, Sonny almost thought he had stepped into a painting.

It was in that moment, that Sonny was truly amazed with what his half-life as a wolf could give him.

* * *

After that day, Sonny became a lot more open about his excursions on the mountain. He would go on and on about the new things Chip had taught him. “He said by this point, I’ve learned almost everything I need to know,” Sonny gushed one evening as they ate.

“Does that mean you know everything about your wolf side now?” Usnavi asked.

“Yeah! I can run through the trees so fast now! I could probably run to school way faster than the bus!”

“Don’t you get any ideas,” Usnavi warned.

“Yeah, yeah. My hunting has gotten ten times better, too; I could bring home a ton of meat if we ever need food.” Sonny went on. “I can run through the trees really fast, and I even know how to read the terrain so I can find water or feel if the weather’s gonna change!”

“I never knew you could do so many things as a wolf,” Usnavi commented.

“Me neither!” Sonny said happily. “I feel like I have super powers or something!”

“Well, don’t forget,” Usnavi pointed his fork at him. “You can play with your super powers all you like as long as you save the day before bedtime.”

Sonny rolled his eyes, “Hardee har.”

Usnavi didn’t have to worry much, because Sonny was becoming a pro at balancing his two lives. While he occasionally missed a homework assignment or two thanks to late night mountain excursions which had him coming home exhausted, Usnavi let it slide. It’s not like he was failing or anything. And Sonny’s teachers have said that the boy showed great knowledge and interest in plant life and animals, recommending for him to take advanced studies in biology.

Meanwhile, Sonny was simply enjoying his dual life, balancing out his two agendas with his friends and Chip. While learning things with Chip was a lot more exciting, Sonny still enjoyed regular school, mostly to hang out with his own little pack of friends.

The two mindsets of a human and a wolf were like night and day, but switching between the two had become second nature to Sonny. He could transform back and forth in seconds. If he needed something on the mountain, but his friends were nearby, Sonny could easily slip away, transform, do what he needed, transform again, and return to his friends like nothing ever happened.

As a result, Sonny became very laid back, his mind almost always wandering free with the simple joys of life as a wolf-person. But it wasn’t until the school held an assembly that Sonny’s mindset was completely compromised with decisions. The principal was talking to the students about job opportunities and colleges, things that Sonny had just about forgotten existed.

“It’s time to start thinking about the future. What do you want to be when you go out into the world? Who will you be? What will you be?”

Those questions echoed in Sonny’s mind all throughout the rest of the assembly, and it didn’t help when his friends started talking about it afterwards. “What do you want to do, Michael?” Jeremy asked as they walked.

“I dunno, something with music or videogames,” Michael answered.

Jeremy nodded, “Yeah, maybe me too,” He admitted.

“One guess as to what Evan wants to be,” Jared spoke up.

“Uh, I-I’d really like to be uh, a park ranger or something,” Evan said.

“Basically, something that involves trees,” Jared said, putting an arm around him. “Who’s surprised?”

“W-Well, what about you, Jared?” Evan asked, pushing his arm away. “W-What do you wanna be?”

“I’m thinking I’ll that guy who does a bunch of small weird jobs,” Jared said.

“Like what?” Michael asked skeptically.

“Uh…you know, like stuff you don’t see people do every day,” Jared said.

“Don’t worry, I plan to go into politics, like my dad,” Philip said, patting Jared on the back, “So I’ll make sure to create a bunch of weird jobs for you.”

“You’re a lifesaver, man,” Jared said.

“I might try to be an artist,” Pete said.

“Yeah, I can see that,” Jeremy said. “I think you could pull that off.”

“Yeah, your drawings are the best!” Michael agreed.

“What about you, Sonny?” Evan asked. “What do you wanna do?”

“Uh,” Sonny hesitated as his mind went blank. What did he want to do? What could he do? He was a wolf, but…he couldn’t go to college or get a job as a wolf. And as a human…he had no idea what he really wanted. “I…don’t know,” He finally admitted. “I never really thought about it before.”

The other boys’ faces fell from how down Sonny seemed, but Pete squeezed his shoulder, “Don’t worry, we got two more years left; you’ll figure it out.”

“Yeah,” Michael agreed. “Besides, you're one of the smartest kids out of all of us; you’ll find something.”

Sonny gave them a small smile as thanks, but the questions still remained heavy in his mind until he got home. As he went through the rest of the day, he kept finding himself comparing being a human and being a wolf. As a wolf, there were no rules and really no way you could get in trouble. But as a human, you had warm food and beds; Sonny wasn’t a big fan of eating raw meat and sleeping on the ground. With every pro one side had, there were plenty of cons to balance it all out.

But the biggest controversy was the worst; as a wolf he was free, but as a human, he had the barrio, his friends, Pete…Usnavi… It kept eating at Sonny for days until he was completely at a loss; he didn’t know what to do and he didn’t know who to ask!

One particular night, Usnavi was heading up to bed late into the night, when he noticed light from Sonny’s room. Usnavi peeked inside to see Sonny sitting on his bed, his knees to his chest, and staring out the window at the starry sky above him. Ever since Abuela told him about stars as a kid, Sonny loved them almost as much as she did; they calmed him.

So Usnavi knew, if Sonny was looking at the stars instead of sleeping, something was bothering him. “Sonny?” He called gently. Sonny started and looked at him with wide eyes. “You’re up late,” Usnavi commented, entering the room. “Is everything okay?”

Sonny bit his lip as if debating to say something before shaking his head and turning back to the window, “No, I’m fine.”

Usnavi frowned slightly, “What’s wrong,  _mijo?”_  He asked, leaning in the doorway.

Sonny swallowed; he figured he wouldn’t be able to hide it from Usnavi. It was now or never, “Cuz,” He said softly. “Can I ask you something?”

There is was. “Sure; what is it?” Usnavi asked.

Sonny glanced between him and the ground, “I’ve been thinking…about, you know, me,” He gestured to himself, “what I am. And I guess…I don’t know what to do.” Sonny bit his lip, “I love living here, and doing school stuff, and hanging out with everyone, but…I also love going up on the mountain and doing wolf stuff.” He looked up at Usnavi, “I don’t want to stop being a wolf, but…I don’t want to stop being a human either. How am I supposed to choose between two halves of myself?”

Sonny hid his face in his knees and Usnavi slowly approached him. He rubbed his back and sat down next to him, staying quiet for a minute until speaking up. “Well, who says you have to choose?” Sonny peeked up at him. “If you love being both a human and a wolf, then be both; no one’s stopping you,” Usnavi said, putting his arm around him. “You’re in charge of your own life, Sonny, so you can do whatever you want.”

“…I guess,” Sonny said softly, clearly still unsure.

Usnavi frowned and decided to change tactics, “You know, your Papí didn’t really choose a side either.”

Sonny perked up slightly, “Really?” Usnavi nodded; he was always glad that the little he knew about Tío Carlos always seemed to come in handy.

“He stayed a human most of the time, but he still turned into a wolf every now and then,” Usnavi explained. “On special occasions, he would go out and hunt and he would bring back a pheasant or two.” He chuckled at the memory, “He always came back covered in feathers.”

He looked at Sonny again, “Anyway, don’t worry about needing to choose. If your Papí could live being both a wolf and a human, then you can too.” He put his hand over Sonny’s heart, “You have wolf blood and human blood inside you; they’re both parts of you. Even if you choose one over the other, it doesn’t mean you’ll stop being both. They’ll both always be right in here for as long you live.”

Sonny smiled, “Thanks, cuz,” He said, before looking at the ground again, “It feels weird, you know; you, knowing more about my dad than me.”

Usnavi smiled sadly, “You were only a day old when he died,” He said softly, gazing at the starry sky, “He didn’t know you any better than you knew him.”

Sonny leaned against Usnavi, his head resting on his shoulder while he looked at the sky with him, “How…How did he die?” He asked, barely audible.

Usnavi took a deep breath. Fifteen years in the making and the moment was finally here. “I don’t know,” He answered honestly. “He said he was going out to get groceries, and he never came back. Your Mamá went out to look for him and just…found him, lying under a bridge as a wolf.” Usnavi bit his lip as he remembered when his aunt recounted the sight to him in that dead hollow voice of shock and denial. “She said he was covered in feathers, so…maybe he was hunting for us, and…something went wrong.”

Sonny nodded and swallowed, feeling his eyes heat up, “And Mamá?”

“She…she died a few months later,” Usnavi answered, taking a shaky breath. “She was heartbroken over losing your Papí; all I could do was watch her until…” Usnavi squeezed Sonny’s shoulder, “she just couldn’t go on anymore…her heart just stopped thumping.” The two sat in silence after that for a good while.

“Sometimes I wish I knew them, my Mamá and Papí,” Sonny said softly. “What would they think of me if they were here right now?”

Usnavi smiled at him, “They would be so proud of you, I know it.”

“You sure?” Sonny asked.

“If I’m proud of you, then I know they would be, too,” Usnavi said, his voice full of confidence.

Sonny smiled to himself and nodded, “Then…I’ll be both, at least for now.” He shrugged, “Who knows, maybe I’ll change my mind later on.”

“Whatever you choose, I’ll be right behind you,” Usnavi said. He gently directed Sonny’s face to look at him, “You know, it’s fitting that you want to be both; when you’re a human, I see your mom…but when you’re a wolf, I see your dad.” He smiled, “It’s like they never left.”

Sonny smiled back and leaned into Usnavi for a heartfelt hug. Usnavi gently breathed out into Sonny’s curls and held him tightly. They stayed like that for a while until Sonny’s eyes began to droop, prompting Usnavi to tuck him in. 

Usnavi quietly went back downstairs and found himself in the familiar position of sitting on the couch, holding his family photo in his hands. “Sonny is finally starting to choose his own path,” He said softly, gazing at the frozen faces. “I guess I never thought this day would come so fast…”

Usnavi looked out the back door and chuckled to himself, “We’ve come so far; I almost can’t believe we made it,” He said, his smile fading, “But now that Sonny’s starting to spread his wings…he’s going to need me now more than ever.”

Usnavi shuddered as that winter’s day flashed in his mind for a split second. The dangers of childhood were one thing, but the dangers of adulthood…that was going to be difficult. Usnavi had sworn that he would take care of Sonny and keep him safe, and Usnavi was going to do whatever he could to keep that promise. Sonny may be a teenager now, but he was still a child, unprepared for the world that adulthood had in store for him, be it for a wolf or a human. Sonny was going to be fine; Usnavi would make sure of it.

* * *

When fall arrived that year, their home was pounded by multiple record-breaking rainstorms. For the first time in probably ages, some school days were cancelled from the hazardous and quickly flooding roads. Thankfully, the barrio had been rationing food as they knew their fields were going to be flooded beyond repair with no hope of protecting them.

Usnavi and Sonny didn’t have to worry either, as Sonny could easily hunt for them if things got bad. But after a week of almost non-stop rainstorms, even hunting seemed to be more difficult. With school getting cancelled almost every other day, Sonny had been spending more time up on the mountain than ever. The entire terrain was changing due to fallen trees and flooding, and the animals who lived up there were being affected drastically. Any small animals that Sonny could easily hunt down were drowned or crushed by trees, making them inedible.

Not to mention that Chip was really getting stressed out with all the rain changing the terrain of the mountain and trees falling over. Chip enlisted Sonny’s help a lot more often, helping to herd the animals to higher ground and salvage any plants in case they were all drowned from the rain.

Sonny stared out over a part of the mountain; multiple trees had fallen over, making the whole place uninhabitable. Sonny carefully trekked through the fallen trees as a wolf, his fur soaked from the rain; he knew this part of the mountain so well.

“…Sonny…!”

Sonny’s ears twitched at the voice echoing through the mountain; Usnavi was calling him. It must be later than he thought. But Sonny heard a small squeak from beneath one of the branches. Sonny nosed through the branches, finding a bushel of baby bunnies, trying desperately to keep out of the rain. Sonny grimaced as he heard Usnavi call again; he couldn’t just leave now. He would help these bunnies, then go home.

* * *

It ended up being later than Sonny had thought when he finally headed home. After bringing the baby bunnies to safety, Sonny just kept running into more and more critters that needed his help. Sonny stayed up there for a good three hours before Chip finally noticed his exhaustion and sent Sonny home. Sonny walked into his house to find Usnavi sitting at the table.

The second Usnavi spotted him, he stood up, “There you are!” He went over to him, “Where have you been? I was worried sick!” He grasped his shoulders but pulled away quickly, “Dios mio, you’re soaked! What the hell happened?”

Sonny shuffled, “I was on the mountain.”

Usnavi gaped, “Sonny, it’s pouring! Being out on the mountain in the weather? What were you thinking?!”

“I had to check on Chip, okay?” Sonny said. “Lotsa trees are falling over; all the animals are losing their homes, and Chip can’t watch that whole mountain by himself!”

Usnavi started at the mention of the wild wolf, “Is Chip okay?”

“Yeah, he’s fine, just stressed,” Sonny answered. “He needs help sometimes with all the animals, but he can take care of himself.”

“Good.” Usnavi nodded in relief. He couldn’t imagine Sonny’s reaction if something had happened to his teacher and friend.

“Sorry I came back so late,” Sonny said.

Usnavi sighed, “Just tell me the next time if you think you’re going to be out for this long,” He said.

“I will,” Sonny nodded. “Things up there aren’t too bad yet, so tomorrow I shouldn’t be out that late.”

Usnavi froze, “What?! You’re going back up there?!”

“I have to!” Sonny exclaimed. “I know those animals; they’re gonna die if Chip and I don’t help them!”

“Then let Chip handle it; you said he can take care of himself!” Usnavi protested.

“Yeah, but he still needs my help!” Sonny responded.

Usnavi was silent for a moment, “No.”

Sonny blinked, “What?”

“No, I won’t allow it.” Usnavi took a deep breath, “I don’t want you going up there anymore.”

Sonny’s eyes widened, “Cuz-”

“At least while these storms are happening, I want you here or at school, nowhere else.”

“Usnavi, I can’t just leave Chip all alone up there!” Sonny protested. “All this rain is making the mountain dangerous!”

“That’s exactly why I don’t want you up there!” Usnavi exclaimed. “I don’t want you getting caught in a mudslide or worse!”

“Cuz, I’ve been up that mountain a bajillion times, I know it better than anyone!” Sonny argued.

“That doesn’t make it any less dangerous!” Usnavi shot back. “That mountain is going to look completely different than what you remember if these storms keep up! How do you expect to find your way back if you go up there?!”

“I’m a goddamn wolf, Usnavi! I think I’m capable of finding my way back!” Sonny yelled.

“You’re still a human, too!” Usnavi grabbed Sonny’s shoulders. “You’re only fifteen; you may be all grown up in wolf years but to me you’re still a child!”

“I’m always a child to you!” Sonny swatted Usnavi’s hands away. “I’m not a baby anymore, cuz; would it kill you to trust me for once?!”

“You mean like I trusted your Papí?!” The words were out before Usnavi could stop them. “He always said he would be okay, and look what happened to him! Do you want to end up in a ditch like he did?!”

Sonny’s eyes were wide, hurt shining in them. He pressed his lips into a thin line before lowering his head, “I’m not my dad, Usnavi,” He said softly.

Usnavi opened his mouth but his retort died on his tongue. He lowered his head, “You’re not allowed to go up there again,” He said lowly. “not until these storms are over.”

“But cuz-”

“This conversation is over,” Usnavi said sharply. “You’re not going back up the mountain until these storms are over, and that’s final.”

Sonny was silent before he stormed away to his room, slamming the door behind him. A few moments later, Usnavi heard water running upstairs, signaling that Sonny was probably showering. Good, he didn’t want him to catch a cold. But then again, a cold would keep him off the mountain. Well, most teenagers get grounded at this point in their lives, right?

Usnavi headed to the kitchen and sat down at the table, running a hand over his face; why the hell did he say that? It had been only a month since Usnavi had told Sonny what had happened to his parents and he followed it up by saying that? Both their parents had always been a sore subject for them and Usnavi practically ripped that old wound wide open.

Usnavi gave Sonny an hour or two before heading up to his room. As he expected, Sonny was still awake, despite his lights being off, lying with his back towards the door. He usually would’ve been looking at the stars, but thanks to the rainclouds, they weren’t available. Usnavi didn’t say a word and quietly stepped into the room, sitting on the edge of Sonny’s bed.

They sat in the darkness for a moment until Sonny broke the silence. “I’m not my dad,” He said.

“I know,” Usnavi said softly.

“Just because you knew him doesn’t mean you know me,” Sonny said tightly. “And just because we’re both wolves, it doesn’t mean I’ll end up the same as him.”

Usnavi bit his lip, guilt eating at him, and he squeezed Sonny’s shoulder, “I know; I’m so sorry I said those things to you,” He said. “I just…I worry about you,  _mijo_.”

“You always do,” Sonny responded in an annoyed tone. “I can do things by myself.”

“I know you can,”

“No you don’t,” Sonny bit out. “You never let me try.”

Usnavi shook his head, “Old habits die hard,” He said. “That’s all I can say.” Sonny didn’t bother asking what that meant, and Usnavi sighed, rubbing Sonny’s arm. “I can’t help being worried about you,  _mijo_ ,” He said. “With how hard everything was in the city and after that winter…I just can’t help it.”

“What winter?” Sonny asked, finally looking back at him.

Usnavi blinked, “Do you not remember?”

“Remember what?” Sonny asked, shifting to sit up properly.

Usnavi took a deep breath; too late to hide anything from him now. “It was back when you were just five years old,” He said. “It was our first winter living here, and it had snowed a whole lot.” He wrung his hands and smiled at the memory, “You were so excited, we went outside and into the woods right away. I don’t think I ever saw you so happy.”

Sonny smiled slightly, “I think I remember that,” He said. “Running through the snow…”

“Yeah, that was it,” Usnavi said. “Anyway, when we started to head back home, you ran ahead of me. Apparently, when you were running by the river, you saw a bird and went to go catch it, but then…” Sonny’s eyes widened as he put the pieces together.

“When I caught up to you, you were in the water, barely keeping your head up,” Usnavi said, his voice shaking slightly. “I ran as fast as I could, but your head hit a rock and you were gone.” He wrung his hands together, staring at the floor. “I got you out and you eventually woke up, but…in that moment, I thought I had lost you forever.”

Usnavi looked at him, “After losing both my parents and your parents…I don’t think I’d make it if I lost you too.”

Sonny stared at his cousin as flashes of memory slowly trickled into his mind. He vaguely remembered freezing water and snow surrounding him, making him involuntarily shudder. Suddenly Usnavi’s anger and over-protectiveness made sense.

Sonny bit his lip and leaned into Usnavi for a hug, “You won’t lose me,” He whispered. “I…I won’t go back up the mountain; I’ll wait until the storms are done. For you.”

Tears leaked out of Usnavi’s eyes as his hand carded through Sonny’s curls, “Thank you,  _mijo,”_  He whispered. 

* * *

Three days later, the day started out sunny for a change. After two weeks of nothing but rain and wind all day, it felt nice to actually start the day with some sun. Sonny and Usnavi went about their respective routines as usual, and Sonny got ready to head to the bus stop. If it didn’t storm today, maybe Usnavi would let him go up the mountain to see how the mountain was faring.

Sonny walked out the door, wincing at the humidity, when he stopped. The air…felt wrong. Sonny frowned lightly and listened carefully to the air currents. This didn’t feel right at all.

“Sonny?” Sonny turned to see Usnavi. “Why are you still here? You’re gonna miss the bus.”

Sonny paused before answering, “I don’t think going to school is a good idea,”

Usnavi blinked, “What are you talking about?”

Sonny sniffed the air and closed his eyes as he felt the humid air, “It’s gonna storm again,” He said. “Really bad.”

Usnavi frowned, “The radio said that the rain would start up again later today,” He admitted.

“I mean it, cuz,” Sonny said. “Going to school is a bad idea today.”

Usnavi gave him a look, “You’re not doing this just to get out of a test, are you?”

Sonny rolled his eyes, “No, cuz, I’m telling the truth.”

Usnavi eventually sighed, “Alright; but if a storm does come, you’re helping me storm-proof the house.”

“Deal.”

The day slowly ticked by, with both Usnavi and Sonny relishing the air conditioning to fight the humidity, when cold air blew through the area. They went outside, and sure enough, dark grey clouds could be seen on the horizon. Sonny sniffed and smelled the scent of rain in the air; it was gonna be rough.

It wasn’t long before the wind picked up, so the two cousins hurried about, securing anything loose outside and covering their fields with a big tarp, even though it probably wouldn’t do much good. The rain started by the time they were done, and the two still got pretty wet by the time they got inside.

Usnavi sighed, “I almost wish you met Chip earlier,” He commented. “Having you as a weatherman is way more valuable.”

Sonny snorted, “Maybe I should go into meteorology,”

They had lunch, and right after they were done, the power went out, thanks to the howling wind and rain outside. “Oh, great,” Sonny scoffed.

Usnavi shook his head, “That’s what we get for living all the way up here.” Just then, the phone rang. Usnavi got up and answered it, “Hello? Camila? Yeah, it’s really coming down. What?” Sonny perked up at his cousin’s rise in tone. “Are you sure?” Usnavi asked and ventured into the living room.

Sonny’s hand unconsciously made its way to his cellphone and he scrolled through his contacts. He had a sudden urge to see if his own pack was doing alright. He picked the one number who he could almost count on picking up.

“Yo,”

“Hey, Michael.”

“Yo, Son-shine!” Michael exclaimed. “Where are you; you weren’t in class.”

Sonny glanced at his cousin, “Uh, I had to stay and help my cousin; something came up and now this storm, so, you know,”

“I hear ya,” Michael said. “It’s really pouring, huh.”

“Yeah, I wanted to make sure you guys were okay,” Sonny said. “The school hasn’t washed away, has it?”

“Aw, you’re so sweet,” Michael chuckled, “Not yet, but they just announced that the weather is gonna get worse so, they’re sending us home early,” Michael said.

Sonny raised his eyebrows, “Oh yeah? Do all of you have rides?”

“Evan’s hitching a ride with Jared, I’m going with Jeremy, and Philip’s parents already got him.”

“What about Pete?” Sonny asked.

“I dunno,” Michael answered. “Philip asked him if he needed a ride before he left, but he said he would be fine.”

Sonny swallowed nervously as he thought back to those rumors, about how Pete’s dad didn’t give two shits about him even though Pete was his son. They had started circulating when they entered high school, how Pete’s mom was dead and that his father didn’t even treat Pete like he existed. It certainly explained a few things, like how Pete never really brought them over to his place and never talked about his parents.

Sonny bit his lip in fear, “Okay; guess I’ll see you guys whenever this storm stops.” He said into the phone.

“Alright; be safe Sonny,” Michael said.

“You too.” Sonny hung up and quickly dialed Pete’s number. “Pick up, pick up…” He muttered. Thankfully, he did.

“Yeah?”

“Hey Pete, it’s Sonny,” Sonny responded. “I heard from Michael that school’s letting out early.”

“Yeah, it’s raining pretty hard,” Pete responded.

“Do you have a ride home?” Sonny asked. “Michael said you told Philip that you were fine.”

“Meh,” Pete said dully. “I’ll be fine.”

Sonny frowned, “That’s not an answer, Pete; do you have a ride or not?”

“Does it matter?”

“Yes, it does!” Sonny said sharply. “This storm is gonna be a really bad one, Pete, you need to-”

“I’m just at school Sonny, I’m not gonna die if I stay here; not like my dad cares anyway.”

Sonny sucked in a breath and Pete was silent. “Your dad?” Sonny asked.

“I gotta go.” Pete hung up.

Sonny lowered his phone, looking at it with wide eyes. So, the rumors were true? Pete’s dad really didn’t care about him? Sonny looked out the window as thunder crashed once again. He couldn’t just leave Pete at school; what if it wasn’t safe? Maybe when Usnavi got off the phone he could get him to drive them down to the school to get him.

Sonny grimaced when he spied the pounding rain; driving was gonna be real dangerous if it kept up. Hell, the roads were probably already starting to flood! The only other way to school was through the mountain; Sonny had discovered a path a while back that actually led to an outlook where you could see the school. But getting down to it on foot wasn’t exactly easy; being a wolf on the mountain was always so much easier.

Wait…that was it! Sonny could use the mountain path as a wolf and get to the school! Then he could lead Pete back to the barrio and head back home! Sonny’s mind skid to a halt; that would most likely mean…telling Pete his secret.

Sonny clenched his fists as he remembered Pete’s bloody ear, how scared he was afterward. Pete told everybody that a wolf had hurt him and not Sonny…but what would he say if he knew that Sonny and the wolf were the same?

Sonny then remembered when Usnavi had told him about when his dad had revealed his secret to Usnavi and his mom. Usnavi had said that his dad had been terrified, but he had a feeling deep down that he could trust them. And even if they reacted badly, it was a gamble he just had to take. Secrets aren’t meant to be kept between people who care for each other.

Sonny nodded, shaking the negative thoughts away; he considered Pete his best friend, despite what they went through back then. Pete deserved to know who and what he really was. And if Pete rejected him…then Sonny was wrong about him being his friend.

Sonny looked at the other room where Usnavi was still talking on the phone. Usnavi had forbidden him from going on the mountain, and even if he told him that he was going to help a friend, Usnavi would still worry. At least he knew he wouldn't follow him; Sonny didn’t want to imagine how hard it would be hiking up that mountain in this weather.

Sonny took a deep breath; he had never done this before, but his mind was made up. “Sorry, cuz,” He whispered and got up from the table.

* * *

“Is everyone okay?” Usnavi asked into the phone as Camila spoke on the other end. Usnavi listened intently before nodding. “Yeah, we’ll be right down. We’ll see you in a few.”

Usnavi hung up the phone and went to the closet, “Sonny!” He called, getting out his raincoat, “We have to go down to the barrio and help the others get to the shelter!” Usnavi put his jacket on and slipped on his boots, but Sonny didn’t answer.

“Sonny?” Usnavi looked in the kitchen to find Sonny’s seat empty. “Sonny? Where did you go?” Usnavi headed to the foyer to see the door open and Sonny hurrying down the driveway.

Usnavi’s eyes widened, “Sonny!” Usnavi hurried outside, only to be slammed by strong wind and rain, blowing his hat back into the house. Usnavi quickly shut the door, turning just in time to see a brown tail vanish up the road. “Sonny!” He ran down the driveway, but the street was empty; Sonny was nowhere in sight.

Usnavi scanned the road and trees surrounding him, “Sonny!  _Mijo,_  where are you?!” Where could he have gone? Sonny knew better than to wander off without letting him know, especially as a wolf! Usnavi started as the answer came to him; Sonny had been pretty upset when Usnavi banned him from the mountain…oh no. And the storm was getting worse! What if Sonny got himself hurt?! He’d be stuck up there in the mountains, and no one would know where to find him! …Except Usnavi.

He would find him, he had to! Usnavi held up his arms and began to walk up towards the mountain path. ‘I’m coming, _mijo_ …’

* * *

The trees and plants flew past Sonny as he ran through the forest. The rain and wind pelted his fur but it didn’t hinder him. This rain was no different than when he had come up here to check on Chip. As he ran, Sonny couldn’t help but notice how much softer the ground was than yesterday, and all the exposed roots from trees. If this rain kept up, they’d definitely have a mudslide on their hands.

Sonny felt more worry rise for Chip from the thought, but pushed it down. Chip was still young and nimble, barely older than Sonny; he was smart and fast enough to escape to higher ground if need be. Sonny ran up along the river that was just about flooding before resorting to jumping up on large boulders. He knew the driest path that would take him where he needed to go the quickest.

It wasn’t long before he found himself on a large boulder that overlooked the school. The parking lot was empty and the whole place seemed really quiet. Thunder crashed overhead and Sonny bounded down the mountain towards the school; he hoped Pete was alright.

* * *

Usnavi huffed and puffed as he hiked up the mountain trail. It was so much more difficult wearing rainboots! And the wind and rain didn’t make things easier as he could feel the water soaking through his rain jacket.

“Sonny!” Usnavi called as loud as he could. “Sonny, can you hear me?!” Usnavi continued to walk as he called, scanning the woods as best he could, “ _Mijo,_  where are you?! Sonny!”

Usnavi eventually reached the large tree where Sonny had introduced him to his teacher, but the boy was nowhere in sight. “SONNY!” He called one more time, but only rain answered him. Usnavi bit his lip, feeling his worry rise; where was he?! From here on out, it was uncharted territory; Usnavi had never been out this far. But he couldn’t turn back, not when Sonny was out there!

Usnavi steeled himself and continued along one of the many paths, ignoring his aching feet. “Sonny!” He called for probably the hundredth time, his voice cracking from overuse, “Please Sonny, answer me! Sonny!”

* * *

Sonny stepped out of the rain and quickly shook his fur before morphing into a human. His curls were still pretty damp and his clothes were soaked and muddy under his jacket, but then again, he had to sell that he had run here through a storm. But he’d probably have to explain the fact that his feet were bare since he couldn’t run fast enough while wearing his boots as a wolf. It was taxing enough wearing his clothes and raincoat as a wolf, especially in this weather. He could just say that his boots got stuck in mud and he had to leave them behind; yeah, that was good enough.

Sonny swallowed as he panted heavily from the taxing run and quietly slipped inside the school. The lights were off and it was dead quiet; was no one here? Did Pete manage to get a ride home with someone else or did his dad actually come through for a change?

Sonny stepped further in and listened carefully; he could hear the soft padding of footsteps upstairs, so that’s where Sonny went. He crept through the halls until he came to one of the English classrooms and he sniffed the air. “Pete?” He whispered. “Pete, you in here?”

Slight movement came from within, and a familiar face poked up from under one of the desks across the room. “Sonny?” Sonny sighed in relief and hurried over to him, Pete’s face drawn with confusion and disbelief. “What are you doing here?”

“To get you!” Sonny said. “After you told me about your dad, I knew you couldn’t walk through this, so…”

Pete stared at him in shock, taking in his appearance, “You…you ran through a fucking storm to get me?”

“Well, what were you gonna do, stay here all night?” Sonny asked.

Pete shrugged, “Better than going home, if you ask me.”

Sonny frowned lightly, “So…those rumors…they really are true?”

“More or less,” Pete said, leaning against a desk and looking out the window. “Doesn’t really matter.”

“Well it should!” Sonny exclaimed. “Who does your dad think he is, treating you like you don’t exist? You should mean everything to him!”

“Well, news flash, not every family is as kumbaya as yours!” Pete snapped, turning on him. Sonny took a step back in shock. Pete didn’t respond and turned away again.

Sonny bit his lip and slowly moved to stand beside him, “You know…my family isn’t exactly sunshine and rainbows like you think.”

“What are you talking about?” Pete said. “You have Usnavi.”

“Yeah, and he lost his parents when he was my age,” Sonny said. “My parents died when I was a baby; I didn’t know anything about them, and if it wasn’t for pictures, I wouldn’t even know what they look like. Usnavi and I are basically the only ones left.” He looked at Pete, “But my neighborhood taught me that family doesn’t have to include the ones related to you; we’re a pack, made up of a bunch of different people, but we still look out for each other.”

Pete looked at him, “Then why are you here with me instead of with them?”

Sonny frowned. “You, Jeremy, Philip, and everyone…you’re all my pack too; that means you’re family to me. And if there’s one thing Usnavi taught me, it’s that you don’t leave family behind.”

Pete stared at him with a mixture of shock and fondness, as if that was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to him. He eventually shook his head and turned away, “You’re one crazy kid,” He said weakly, his voice barely cracking.

Sonny smiled softly and gently grasped his shoulder, “So, what do you say?” He asked. “Wanna get out of here?”

Pete glanced out the window as thunder crashed loudly outside. He shook his head and went to the window. “Let’s wait until the rain dies down a bit,” Pete said. “Don’t want you to get even more soaked.”

Sonny shrugged and stood next to him, “Sure.”

* * *

Usnavi’s chest felt like it was being crushed. He had been walking for so long now, the rain still pounding him relentlessly. He couldn’t tell if his face was soaked from the rainwater or sweat. Usnavi breathed deeply as he trudged along the path, his eyes on his boots as they squelched through the mud. “Sonny…” He rasped; his voice had given out a long time ago from calling so many times.

Usnavi kept walking, stumbling over a few roots, as branches brushed against his form. Usnavi reached out and leaned on a tree, stopping and taking a few deep breaths. He had to keep going…he had to find Sonny!

Usnavi took another step, when his foot sharply slid down. Usnavi yelped as he fell for a split second, before he hit the ground, feeling white hot pain shoot up his ankle. Usnavi cried out as he fell into a huge puddle, soaking his pants and filling his boots. Usnavi slowly picked himself up and got on all fours, crawling out of the puddle, the rain soaking his hair, as his hood had fallen down.

Usnavi slowly crawled to a tree and sat at the base, leaning against it with a grimace. He took off his right boot and poured the water out before replacing it. He then gripped his left boot and let out a yelp as pain stung his ankle. Gritting his teeth, Usnavi slowly and painfully worked the boot off, emptying it. Putting it back on was easier; at least he was pretty sure his ankle wasn’t broken. He probably just twisted it slightly.

Using the tree, Usnavi pulled himself up, putting his weight on his right ankle just in case. Very gingerly, he took a step, only wincing slightly when he put weight on it. He could still walk; he was fine. He had to keep going! Now limping along the path, Usnavi continued his trek; he had no idea where he was now, but Sonny was the only thing on his mind. Usnavi looked around when he froze; something was moving in the trees!

“Sonny!” Usnavi cried happily, without thinking. He limped off the path as fast as he could, climbing the hills and pushing his way through the bushes, “Sonny!” He called as the figure began to move away, “ _Mijo,_  wait!” He stumbled slightly on his bad ankle but pressed on, “I’m coming, Sonny!” He pushed through another bush when he stopped in his tracks.

The figure had become clear through the rain. It was a bear. The large creature slowly turned and looked at him, making Usnavi’s throat tighten. He slowly backed away until his back met a tree, and he stayed as still as possible. The bear just stared at him, not moving at all, and Usnavi stared back, too scared to move.

After what felt like an eternity, a small cry was heard and two bear cubs emerged from the trees. The bear looked down at the cubs before slowly walking away, her children beside her.

Usnavi let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, his mind too tired to pick up on the obvious symbolism fate was throwing his way.“Sonny…” He moaned, slumping to the ground under the tree and looking up at the rainy sky. “Where are you,  _mijo?”_

* * *

Sonny and Pete stood in the classroom in silence, watching the rain pour from the windows. “You think it’ll ever let up?” Pete asked.

“Probably by morning.” Sonny said with a shrug. “Getting home is gonna be a bitch either way.”

Pete chuckled, “I still can’t believe you made it all the way here on foot; are you sure you’re even human?”

It was a joke, but Sonny tensed either way. That was enough beating around the bush; he just had to do it now. “Pete?”

“Yeah?”

Sonny took a deep breath, “There’s…there’s something I want to tell you.” He gripped the windowsill tightly. “It’s…something I’ve been wanting to tell you for a long time, ever since…” He gestured to his ear.

Pete frowned in concern, “Dude, don’t tell me you’re still hung up about that.”

Sonny grimaced, “Kinda, sorta- that’s not the point!”

Pete began to move towards him Sonny, “Sonny, we cleared this up years ago, you didn’t-”

“Yes, I did!” Sonny pushed away from the window and wrung his hands, “C’mon Pete, I know you know that there was no animal.”

“Sonny, you didn’t-”

“When you got attacked, it was just us, there was no other wolf,” Sonny kept going; he couldn’t stop now. “The only wolf there…was me.”

Pete frowned, “What are you…” He trailed off as Sonny slowly began to morph. His nose elongated, his ears poked out of his curls, and small fangs peeked out from his lips.

“It was me, Pete,” Sonny said, holding up his left hand as it grew claws. “I was the one that attacked you.”

Pete was silent as he stared at Sonny. Sonny could only stand in silence and wait for a response. Now he knew how his father felt when he had told his mother and Usnavi about his secret; Sonny felt like his heart was going to explode.

After what felt like an eternity, Pete let out a breath and put a hand on his head, “Man, what a day this has turned into,” He remarked. “First you tell me off about family and now this…” Pete looked back at him and smiled, but it wasn’t cruel or afraid. “To tell you the truth, I had a feeling that was you.” Sonny sucked in a breath.

“Hey, you don’t have to worry,” Pete said. “I won’t tell anyone.”

Sonny blinked, thinking he’d heard wrong. “You…You won’t?”

Pete shrugged, “Well, I’d be a shitty friend if I blurted out secrets from my pack, wouldn’t I?” He smiled warmly. “I won’t tell anyone; cross my heart.” He made an X over his heart for good measure.

Sonny let out the breath he didn’t know he was holding and before he knew it, tears had formed and were spilling over. Pete’s smile faded in alarm, “Sonny-”

“Thank you…” Sonny said softly, his voice cracking. “You…you have no idea how much that means to me…” He tried in vain to wipe his eyes, “I…I’ve been hiding this for so long, and now…”

Pete cautiously reached up and squeezed Sonny’s shoulder, “Then, let’s make the most of it,” He said. He went over to a desk and turned another chair towards it, before taking a seat, facing the empty chair. “You’ve been hiding this stuff your whole life, so tell me about it.” Pete smiled, “What happens in this classroom, stays in this classroom.”

Sonny gave a wet smile and sat down across from Pete.

* * *

Usnavi was running on pure fumes now. He was soaked, sore, and tired; so, so tired. He had to lean on just about every solid surface he came across just to push himself forward. And with his bad ankle, he stumbled over almost root and rock before him. He couldn’t even tell where he was going anymore; everything had blurred together, making everything look the same.

“Sonny…” Usnavi breathed, “Sonny…” That was the only thing that kept him from collapsing from pure exhaustion. He had to find his baby cousin…he had to find him…he had to… Usnavi panted as he leaned heavily on a wall of earth beside him, his vision clearing ever so slightly. He was on a narrow path lining a steep hill; he was getting higher up the mountain. Maybe if he reached the top, he could see where Sonny was…

Usnavi stumbled forward, almost slipping in another puddle; his ankle was throbbing, and the rain was quickly soaking his clothes under his coat. “Keep going…” Usnavi muttered, “I gotta find him…I gotta fin-”

He stepped on a tree root and his foot slipped down. His knee slammed the ground, and Usnavi toppled over, rolling down the hill. Usnavi cried out and flailed, adrenaline and panic snapping him out of his daze, when his hand managed to grab another tree root. A bunch of trees were growing out of the side of the hill, and the rain had washed the earth away, exposing their roots. Usnavi held on tightly, reaching up with his other hand to get a better hold. He gripped the root with both hands, praying for it to hold, as he tried to get his feet under him.

The hill was so steep, and the mud so slippery, he may as well be hanging over a real cliff. But just as Usnavi started to pull himself up, the entire tree slipped out of the ground, and Usnavi was falling. He squeezed his eyes shut as he tumbled down the hill, slamming into trees and rocks all the while. The rain covered any sounds he made as he just kept falling.

_‘Sonny-!’_

The back of his head hit something with a crack, and everything went black.

* * *

Sonny flinched and gasped, making Pete look at him from where they were doodling on the desks. “What is it?”

Sonny shot to his feet, his chair falling over in the process, and ran to the window, staring at the mountain; something was wrong!

Pete noticed Sonny’s terrified eyes and got up, “Hey, you okay?”

“Navi…” Sonny whispered.

“What?”

Sonny bolted from the window, grabbed his jacket, and ran into the hallway. “Hey!” Pete hurried after him, “Sonny, what’s going on?” Pete exclaimed.

Sonny stopped and looked at him, “Usnavi’s in trouble!” He said frantically.

“Wait, what?”

“Usnavi, he-he’s on the mountain somewhere! Something’s wrong, I felt it!”

“Whoa, slow down!” Pete grabbed Sonny’s shoulder before he could take off again. “What do you mean Usnavi’s in trouble?”

“Just that; he’s in trouble!” Sonny responded, his panic not subsiding.

“How do you know?” Pete asked.

“I just do, okay?!” Sonny cried. “I felt…something! Something bad; it’s Usnavi, I know it is! He’s on the mountain, I have to get to him!”

“Wait up!” Pete called, grabbing his own coat and boots as Sonny bolted out of the classroom. Pete somehow managed to throw his rain gear on as he ran and stopped at the door as Sonny ran outside into the storm without hesitation, his unzipped raincoat flapping in the wind.

“Sonny, wait!” Pete yelled, pulling up his hood and hurrying after him, “Wait for me!” Sonny stopped at the edge of the parking lot, leaning on the rail. He gazed at the mountain and sniffed and air, trying to listen over the wind.

Pete caught up to him and glanced between him and the mountain, “Can you even find him?” He asked.

“I know this mountain like the back of my hand,” Sonny said firmly. “I’ll find him.”

He vaulted over the railing and Pete grimaced before following, “I’m coming with you.”

Sonny looked at him in shock, “Are you sure?”

“Well, you came to get me, didn’t you?” Pete asked. “Be kinda pointless if you just left me here.”

Sonny chuckled uneasily; he’d almost forgotten that had been his plan from the start. “Just follow me and stay close, okay?” Sonny said, and they started up the hill. Pete did as Sonny said and followed him closely through the mountains; all the while, he couldn’t stop staring as his friend navigated the trail with ease. Sonny’s transformations happened smoothly and in all scopes; sometimes he turned into a full wolf, other times he just made his ears and nose appear, all for different amounts of time.

Eventually, Sonny managed to find a trail, a series of blurry footprints that were from Usnavi’s boots. Sonny followed them through the mountain, taking them through easier paths for Pete to take with his rain boots. Sonny bit his lip as he took in the footprints changes the further they went, “They’re getting slower…” He muttered, “He was getting tired, dragging his feet…”

“What was he doing out here?” Pete asked. “I don’t think anyone’s ever come this high up the mountain.”

Sonny shook his head, “I don’t know…” But deep down, a tiny voice tried to tell him the truth. Eventually, the trail led them to a high place on the mountain, the footprints running together because of how heavy they had become. Pete lay a hand on the wall of earth beside them, just in case he slipped; the path along the hill looked nearly non-existent from the rain.

Sonny walked the path without fear, “Take your time,” He told Pete, “I’ll keep looking.” Pete nodded and slowly shuffled along the path, trying not to look down. Sonny kept walking when something caught his eye. Sonny stopped so suddenly, that Pete almost ran into him.

“What is it?” Pete asked. Sonny didn’t respond as his eyes homed in on something down the hill. His eyes slowly widened in terror and he took off without a word, jumping off the path and practically leaping down the hill. “Sonny!” Pete called, carefully climbing down after him, as the younger boy did it with ease, sliding around and through the trees.

“Usnavi!” Sonny called, sliding to the bottom of the hill in seconds. Usnavi was on the ground, lying on his side in a deep puddle of water, and not moving. “Usnavi!” Sonny cried, running towards him and falling to his knees beside him, his ears vanishing. Streaks of mud decorated his cousin’s body, dotted with wet leaves and twigs and he was completely soaked from the rain.

A familiar scent hit Sonny’s nose but he ignored it as he shook Usnavi’s shoulder, “Cuz?” He called frantically. “Usnavi, wake up!” He grabbed him by the shoulders and managed to lift them off the ground, seeing that the older man was also covered in scrapes and cuts.

“Usnavi!” Sonny called, trying desperately to keep his voice from cracking as he moved to support his head. “Cuz, are you okay? Say somethi-” Sonny cut himself off as he felt something warm on his hand, the scent from earlier growing stronger. Sonny’s hand moved to the back of Usnavi’s head and it came away red. Sonny felt his lungs close up in horror as his hand shook, the rain slowly washing the red liquid from his hands.

No…nonononononono this wasn’t happening! This couldn’t be happening! “Navi!” Sonny yelled, panic lacing his voice as he shook his cousin, “Navi, wake up! Open your eyes, please!” No response.

Sonny felt his eyes sting, “Usnavi! C’mon, Usnavi, wake up!” He cried, “You’ve gotta wake up! You’ve gotta!” He hugged Usnavi close, tears leaking out of his eyes, “You can’t leave me, Navi…don’t leave me…” Sonny barely bit back a sob as his tears dripped onto his cousin’s face.

“So…nny…”

Sonny’s eyes shot open and he pulled away, “Cuz?!”

“Sonn…y…Sonny…” Usnavi mumbled, his eyes not opening.

“Navi!” Sonny cried, a relieved smile coming to his face. “Are you-”

“Sonny…wh’r…wh’re are you…” Usnavi went on, his words weak and slurred, making Sonny’s smile fade. “My boy…h’s out here…somew’re…h’s alone…my boy… my…my lit’le boy…” His voice seemed to be trying to get stronger, but it stayed soft, barely heard over the rain. “Have to…keep him safe…no matt’r what…have to fin… find Sonny…Sonny…”

* * *

 

“Sonny!” Pete finally made it to the bottom of the hill and froze at the sight. Sonny was kneeling on the ground, his cousin in his arms, head down low and not speaking. Pete darted over assuming the worst, and fell to his knees beside them, “Shit, what happened?!” He exclaimed, shaking Usnavi’s shoulder. “Hey! Usnavi, can you hear me?!” He felt relief flood his chest when he saw the rise and fall of the elder’s chest.

Pete looked him over, quickly finding the bloody mark on the back of Usnavi’s head. It wasn’t pouring blood, but it wasn’t something they could ignore, especially with Usnavi’s state out in the storm. “We gotta get him out of here,” Pete said. He looked at Sonny when he didn’t respond. Pete bit his lip, keeping his panic down, “I’ll carry him, okay?”

He moved to get Usnavi, but Sonny pulled him closer in a protective manner, a growl in the back of his throat and fangs peeking out of his mouth under his now red eyes. Pete pulled away quickly, but kept his eyes trained on his friend. “Sonny, you need to lead us home,” He tried again. “I’ll carry him and follow you, okay?”

Sonny’s grip slowly relented and Pete went from there. With some effort, and a little help from Sonny, Usnavi was placed on Pete’s back. Sonny silently shifted into his wolf form and took in his surroundings, his red eyes fading back to green; he knew where he was. Home wasn’t exactly close, but they could get there. Sonny glanced back at Pete and began to walk, Pete following.

Sonny desperately wanted to run, but he knew that Pete couldn’t while carrying Usnavi, especially with the rain and mud. He and Usnavi knew first-hand how slippery the mountain was when it rained,  _‘But he still came out here…’_  Sonny walked briskly, glancing behind him every now and then to make sure Pete and Usnavi were okay. He also kept a lookout for anything dangerous; if anything tried to stop them, Sonny wasn’t going to show any mercy.

At long last, they reached the road, and Sonny turned back into a human; their house wasn’t far from here. “I can take him, now,” Sonny said softly. Pete nodded and they carefully transferred Usnavi to Sonny’s back. Pete couldn’t stop the sigh of relief once Sonny took him; hiking through that mountain carrying a grown-man was no easy task. And what made it worse, was that Usnavi hadn’t moved the entire time.

Now that they were on the road, they were able to run the final stretch to the house and hurried inside. Pete kicked off his boots and Sonny hurried Usnavi upstairs to his room. “Where do you keep medicine stuff?” Pete asked as he climbed the stairs after him.

“Bathroom, under the sink,” Sonny answered, still focused on his cousin, leaning heavily against Sonny as they sat on Usnavi’s bed. Sonny took off Usnavi’s raincoat and boots, but Usnavi grimaced when he took off the left one. Sonny frowned and carefully worked the boot off before examining Usnavi’s left foot. Usnavi grimaced again when Sonny moved the ankle, making the boy bite his lip. It didn’t feel broken, but that didn’t help much.

Pete came back into the room with their First Aid kit and pressed a cloth to the back of Usnavi’s head, which was still dripping blood before wrapping a bandage around his head. Pete helped Sonny change Usnavi into pajamas, figuring they were the most comfortable.

A while later, Usnavi was safe in his bed, a towel on his pillow to hold an ice pack under his head, and a pillow elevating his ankle. He hadn’t woken up, but he hadn’t shown any signs of a fever or trauma from his head wound. But that wasn’t enough to soothe Sonny.

After a while, Sonny spoke up, “There are extra clothes in my room if you want to change,” He said softly.

Pete looked at him in concern, “Will you be okay?”

“I’ll be fine,” Sonny muttered, not taking his eyes off Usnavi, “I just…need some time alone.”

Pete’s face fell in sympathy and he knelt down, squeezing Sonny’s shoulder, “It’ll be alright, man,” He said softly. Sonny reached up and squeezed Pete’s hand before it left and Pete left the room. Sonny stepped forward and knelt next to his cousin’s bed, reaching out and grasping his hand. It still felt cold from the rain and he could still feel the roughness from the harsh behavior of the mountain.

Sonny shuddered as he remembered that cold rush of panic he got a mere few hours earlier. He faintly remembered when Usnavi told him about when he almost drowned; now he understood how Usnavi felt. But instead of worried, he was angry.

“Stupid…” Sonny whispered, lowering his head. “Stupid, stupid…why did you do that, Usnavi?” His voice rose and became shaky. “You knew how bad that storm was, why didn’t you just wait for me to come back? You did it before, why did you go out when it was this bad?!”

Sonny glared at his unconscious cousin, “You know I’m stronger than you; you don’t have to protect me from every god damn thing!” He cried softly. “Why couldn’t you trust me to do this?!”

_‘Old habits die hard, that's all I can say.’_

Sonny’s chest tightened as it all became clear. Protecting Sonny had become second nature to Usnavi. His mind flashed with memories from his childhood, all of them scattered and broken, but all of them containing Usnavi.

Usnavi getting so scared and nervous around others when they first moved in;

Usnavi nearly passing out from exhaustion when he first learned how to properly tend the fields;

Usnavi doing everything that a parent would do and more, no matter what, as long as it was for Sonny.

Sonny couldn’t help but wonder what Usnavi would have been like if he hadn’t had to take care of him. Would Usnavi have graduated high school and gone to college? Would he have gotten a better job other than working at a boring bodega all day? Usnavi had given his own life, given up school, his social life, everything…for Sonny.

Sonny gripped Usnavi’s hand tightly. “Don’t you dare do this…” Sonny whispered. “Don’t you dare do this to me…” Tears stung his eyes. “Just because I’m not my dad doesn’t mean  _you_  get to go out like him!” His voice rose with every word, “You didn’t give up school, break your back working, and jump through hoops to keep my secret just to go out like this! You can’t leave me like this, you can’t!”

Sonny choked on a sob, “You can’t…” He said softly, lowering his head. “Please…don’t leave me, Navi; you can’t leave too…” Sonny’s tears finally began to fall, dripping onto the bed covers. “You’re all I got, Papí…you can’t leave now, you gotta ground me for staying out too late, you gotta see me graduate high school, you gotta be there when I come home for holidays and stuff, you gotta ask Vanessa out and get all old like Abuela! No matter how many times life kicked you when you were down, you got back up for me! You can’t tag out now; you can’t!”

Sonny pressed Usnavi’s hand to his forehead, “So please…don’t leave me…” A sob broke free. “Don’t leave me like Mama and Papí…please Navi…come back…please…”

* * *

First everything was white…then color slowly emerged around him.

Usnavi blinked as he realized he was standing in a lush grassy field. “Where…?” Usnavi breathed. When did he get here? He didn’t remember coming here at all…this wasn’t anywhere near home.

Usnavi looked around in a circle, until his eyes fell on a figure in the distance. Usnavi blinked and squinted at the figure, “Hello?” He called. The figure didn’t respond, so Usnavi began to walk towards it.

“Sonny?” Usnavi called out. The figure didn’t move. “Sonny, is that you?” Usnavi moved closer and the figure became two; two people facing away from him. They slowly faced him, and Usnavi laid eyes on two faces that he hadn’t seen since he was fifteen years old. A man and a woman wearing warm smiles that he knew since he was a baby.

“Hello, Usnavi,” The woman said. “It’s been a while.”

Usnavi’s breath caught in his throat and tears came to his eyes, “Mamá…” He choked out. “Papí…” He ran towards them and threw himself into their arms.

“Usnavi…” Luz breathed.

“We’ve missed you, son,” Luis said, running a hand through Usnavi’s hair like he used to.

“I missed you too…” Usnavi whispered, his voice cracking.

“We’re so sorry for leaving you so early,” Luz said. She pulled away and gently held his face, “You’ve grown so much.”

“He sure has.” Another voice spoke up. Usnavi turned to see another familiar couple coming towards them, hand in hand.

“Tía Jane…Tío Carlos…” Usnavi breathed.

Jane smiled, “You definitely aren’t the same fifteen-year-old I remember,” She joked. Usnavi moved away from his parents and went to hug them both. “You’ve been a busy boy, haven’t you?” Jane teased.

Carlos nodded, “We’ve all been watching you this whole time.”

Usnavi smiled and wiped his eyes, “I…I just can’t believe you’re here,” He said. “So much has happened.”

“Fifteen years is a long time,” Luis agreed. “But looking at how well Sonny is doing, I’d say they were well spent.”

“Sonny’s grown into a fine young man,” Carlos agreed. “You’ve had to be both a mother and father to him, and you’ve done a great job.”

Jane nodded, “You’ve raised our son so well, Usnavi; thank you so much.”

“No…” Usnavi shook his head, “I messed up so many times,” He said softly.

“That’s just part of being a parent,” Luis said. “The parents grow along with their children, and that’s just what you did.”

“Goodness knows how many times we messed up while raising you,” Luz added with a giggle.

Usnavi shook his head again, a tinge of panic surfacing, “No, you’re wrong,” He said. “Because I…” He trailed off as he remembered. The forest…the mountain…

“Sonny…” Usnavi whispered. “Sonny’s lost, I-I was looking for him!” Usnavi turned and looked out over the giant empty field. “I have to find him; he could be lost or hurt or-”

“Sonny’s fine,  _mijo,_ ” Jane said. Usnavi looked back to see his family smiling warmly.

“Sonny’s grown up,” Carlos said, “he’s much more capable now than he was as a child.”

Usnavi bit his lip, “But-”

“Don’t worry so much, cariño,” Luz said. “Sonny knows where he’s meant to be.”

“And now you need to go back and be there for him, just like he’s been there for you,” Luis said.

Before Usnavi could say anymore, his vision faded white.

* * *

Usnavi’s eyes slowly opened and he was met with a familiar ceiling above him. He felt warm, dry, and his ankle was no longer throbbing. His head felt a bit heavy and he could feel something cold under it. He reached up and felt his head, feeling a bandage around it.

Usnavi slowly sat up with a grimace and glanced around, finding himself in his room; when did he get here? He was looking for Sonny, then he fell, and then his family was there and…Sonny! Usnavi almost started to panic when he spied a curly head of hair next him. Sonny was kneeling by his bed, his face buried in his arms as he slept; Usnavi’s eyes widened as he realized that Sonny was soaked and his clothes were filthy.

Did…did Sonny bring him here? Sonny brought him home, through the storm…by himself? Usnavi glanced out the window; the storm had finally let up. Usnavi stared at his cousin in disbelief; Usnavi had gone out to save Sonny, and in the end, Sonny was the one who saved him.

_‘Sonny’s grown up; he’s much more capable now than he was as a child.’_

A soft smile came to Usnavi’s face; Tío Carlos was right. Usnavi gently stroked his cousin’s hair, and the boy stirred. Sonny blinked a few times before registering who was touching him and his head shot up to see Usnavi smiling at him. “Hey, Sonny.”

Sonny’s eyes filled with tears and he launched himself at Usnavi, “Navi!” He sobbed, wrapping his arms around Usnavi so tightly he could barely breathe. “You’re okay…you’re okay!”

Usnavi returned the hug, “I’m fine,  _mijo,_ ” He smiled, “thanks to you.” In response, Sonny hugged him tighter, his shoulders hitching with soft hiccups. “Hey, it’s okay,” Usnavi soothed. “I’m fine; you saved me, _mijo,_  it’s okay.”

Sonny shook his head, not relenting his hold, “No, it’s not!” He cried. “This is all my fault!”

Usnavi started, “Sonny-”

“I should’ve told you where I was going! I knew I wasn’t allowed to go up the mountain and I didn’t want you to worry, but you did anyway, and you…you could’ve…” Sonny clenched his shirt in his fists, “I thought you were gonna die, Navi!”

Usnavi somehow tightened his hold on Sonny, “ _Mijo,_  it wasn’t your fault.”

“Yes, it was!” Sonny sobbed, his tears soaking Usnavi’s shirt. “You got hurt because you were looking for me…you almost died because of me…” Sonny’s grip seemed to loosen ever so slightly, “You’ve done so much for me, and I…I thought…”

Usnavi slowly pulled away, “Hey, look at me,” He said gently. Sonny slowly raised his head and Usnavi held his face, “None of this was your fault; I should’ve trusted you to take care of yourself,” He said. “I’ve spent so long keeping you safe that I thought I’d always have to protect you…but now I see that’s not true.”

Usnavi wiped his boy’s tears away. “You’re growing up, Sonny; you’ve grown so much from that crying little wolf pup you used to be, and I couldn’t be prouder of you.” Usnavi took a deep breath, his own eyes stinging, “You don’t need me anymore,  _mijo,_  and it’s time for me to let you go.”

Sonny bit his lip and leaned back into Usnavi, “But I do need you…” He said softly, his voice cracking. “I don’t care if I’m growing up, I don’t care if you have to let me go.” He looked up at Usnavi with glassy eyes, “It don’t matter how old I get…I’ll always need you, Papí...” Usnavi felt his throat close up and he pulled Sonny back into the hug, both cousins holding each other tightly.

“Promise you won’t ever leave me…” Sonny muttered. “Promise…”

Usnavi smiled, “I promise,  _mijito_ …” He pressed a kiss to his temple, "I love you..."

"I love you too..." Sonny murmured.

Meanwhile, Pete smiled as he peeked through the doorway before leaving them to be alone.

* * *

An hour later, about the whole barrio dropped by, having not heard word from Usnavi for hours. Pete explained the situation to them (minus Sonny being a wolf, of course), and while a good number of them went home, a good few stayed behind to make sure the two were okay. Namely, Vanessa, Benny, Abuela, Daniela, Carla, and the three Rosario’s.

As the group congregated in the living room to kill some time, Abuela snuck away from the group to check on the De la Vegas, just in case. She climbed the stairs, peeked into the room, and found Usnavi was sound asleep on his bed, with a full grown brown wolf practically lying on him.

Usnavi’s arms were wrapped around the animal’s warm fur, and he had a peaceful smile on in his sleep. His fingers gently caressed the wolf’s ears in his sleep, and the wolf seemed to nuzzle closer to him.

Abuela smiled warmly and quietly turned off their lights and closed the door. “So, those stories Mamá told me were true…” She mused. She gazed back at the stairs where the voices of the rest of the barrio were heard. As she slowly descended the stairs, she couldn’t help but think back to all the signs that pointed to Sonny being a wolf child. She giggled to herself; those two really had them fooled.

Abuela traveled back to the living room and sat down, not saying a word. She had a strong feeling that Sonny would tell his secret when he was ready, however long that would take. And she knew for a fact that everyone in this room would accept Sonny and Usnavi, despite the secret they had been hiding.

They were  _familia,_  after all, or, a pack, as Sonny called them. They would be fine.

* * *

If you ever travel to the mountains in New York, well outside the city, you may come across a small neighborhood. The people who live there don’t have much, but they’re friendly and offer what they can, helping each other through the toughest of times.

One of the elder residents lives in a big old house, a decent distance away from the people he fondly calls his pack. He’s lived there for years, and despite now being alone, he’s content. He tells stories of all kinds, but his favorite is the tale of the man who raised a wolf. But not just any wolf; a wolf who was also a human boy, the same as you and me.

The old man always seems to reminisce about the man and the wolf child, going through the eighteen years they spent together before the wolf child left and went his own way. He would always say, that to the man, the time passed as if in a fairy tale, because that’s what it truly felt like. He would always say those words while staring at a framed photo, containing a number of people, and two headshots stuck in the corners, one of a man, and another of a young boy with curly hair.

He said that before the wolf child left, they traveled back to the city, where the wolf child was born, and visited the resting places of both the man’s parents, and the wolf child’s mother, paying their respects. Since the wolf child’s father didn’t have a grave, the wolf child traveled up the mountain and howled at the sky, the sound echoing all the way up to the heavens. Even some of the other residents in the neighborhood will bring up how a wolf used to live in their midst, with lush brown fur and piercing eyes.

Now, you can do what you will with this information, but some say that they when passing the old man’s house, they see him with another visitor, a man significantly younger than him, talking and sitting close together, like father and son.

And some say, that if you listen carefully, you can hear the echo of a wolf howling, blowing on the wind from the mountain.

* * *

 ~ _So, take my home, look, here’s the key, and all the value you might see._ _But never take my son from me; that’s a price I cannot pay, since I gave my heart away.~_

**Author's Note:**

> The song lyrics at the beginning and end is 'Since I Gave My Heart Away' from the movie 'Gepetto'; yeah, the movie isn't that great, but this song is.
> 
> The ending is pretty lackluster, but honestly, it was the best version I could come up with. I had many ideas for different versions of this ending, my favorite one by making it be kind of an homage to the end of Fun Home, but...it just didn't translate into writing so I settled with this little epilogue. 
> 
> But I think it was the right call, cause it leaves a lot open for interpretation; I could probably write a whole other story about little events in Usnavi and Sonny's lives and probably another about their future lives after this story ends, which I think makes this ending justified. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it :) If you did, comment or check out my tumblr and yell at me there @pika-ace


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